


Chasing Safety

by honggjoongie



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Language, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Strangers to Lovers, Survival, Yeonbin, Zombies, side taegyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25890235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honggjoongie/pseuds/honggjoongie
Summary: Soobin’s legs protest the added weight, but he pushes forward, breaking into a run. His muscles scream in overexertion as he sprints for the farmhouse as fast as his legs will allow, never seeming to get closer. He can hear the groaning of zombies behind him, almost close enough to reach out and grab him, pull him back into nothingness.OrA zombie outbreak has destroyed the world as Soobin and Beomgyu know it. When they're forced to leave their home in the midst of the apocalypse, they face horrific death while pursuing life.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 146





	Chasing Safety

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> I'm so excited to finally be able to share this story! I've been working on it for a long time, it's become my baby, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. 
> 
> I really tried to be more conscientious of my writing throughout this story, and I've worked to improve it from my past works. I hope it shows, and I really hope you guys like it. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

“Check mate.” Beomgyu places down his final move. Soobin sighs as he accepts defeat for the hundredth time. 

“Rematch?” Beomgyu asks, feigning innocence. 

“Not a chance.” Soobin rolls his eyes at Beomgyu’s chuckle. 

He moves to clean up the pieces of the game, putting them away before he goes to get the two of them dinner. The empty state of their pantry makes a knot form in his stomach, but he pushes the feeling aside, grabbing from what little food they have left. They sit side by side on their small couch, candles flickering around them as they eat a can of green beans each and share a bottle of water. 

“Soobin, you’re being quiet tonight.” Concern tinges Beomgyu’s voice.

“I just- I thought our food would last longer. It’s only been two months.” Soobin answers. 

Two months since patient zero, since the zombie outbreak, since the world went to shit and society as they knew it collapsed. Soobin and Beomgyu, who had been roommates for a year before the outbreak, drove straight to the nearest store to stock up on survival essentials when they heard the slightest whisper of an impending emergency, and it had saved their lives. 

The zombies reached their country, their city, their town, and the electricity and water shut off as everything deteriorated before their eyes and everyone they’d ever known either turned into a flesh eating zombie or fled to an unknown fate. They were able to hole up in their small shared house, boarding themselves off from the world and surviving off of their collected resources. However, their resources are now running dry, and they’re facing the reality of their situation.

“What are we going to do?” Beomgyu asks in response, voice sounding small, fear making him appear much younger than his 21 years. 

“We’re going to have to go look for more food. There’s a grocery store not too far from here that I think we can make it to.” Soobin notices the fear that manifests in Beomgyu’s eyes at his words, and he knows he reflects it in his own. They haven’t been outside since the outbreak, they haven’t faced the zombies, or the world. 

“I know you’re scared Gyu, I’m scared out of my mind, but we don’t have a choice. Our food supply will only last for three more days at most.” 

“Okay, you’re right.” Beomgyu does his best to put on a brave face. 

They formulate a plan to go the next night, moving under cover of darkness and getting back to their house as soon as they can. Once they both feel comfortable with the plan they blow out the candles, staring into the darkness until they fall asleep, taking what little comfort they can from the presence of the other in the face of what they have to do in a day’s time. 

The next day is spent with Soobin doing his best to reassure Beomgyu of their plan, that it will go smoothly and then they’ll be back home. He wishes he could convince himself. The atmosphere for the duration of the day is tense, both of them dreading what they have to do when night falls. Sooner than either of them would like, the sun begins to set, and they start putting their plan into motion. They use what little knowledge they’d collected from various news sources regarding the zombies before they’d all been cut off. They know that they rely heavily on sight, so their chances of travelling through populated areas are better at night. They also know that zombies are attracted to the smell and sounds of humans, so they’ll have to move quickly and be silent. 

Soobin’s wearing black boots, black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a grey hoodie. Beomgyu chose black boots, blue skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black hoodie, both outfits designed to minimize their visibility. They grab what little weapons they have, Soobin tucking a standard 9 mm handgun into the waistband of his jeans. He’d bought it recently, but was able to get minimal practice in with it before they were forced inside. 

He fills a backpack with as much ammunition as will fit, as well as a couple bottles of water, a change of clothes, and slings it over his shoulders. Beomgyu has only a metal baseball bat as his own protection for the time being, but it’s all they’d been able to come up with on such short notice. When the sun is completely set below the horizon, dragging down the last drops of light with it, Soobin and Beomgyu head to the side door, as prepared as they’ll ever be for what’s ahead of them. 

“Ready?” Soobin looks into Beomgyu’s eyes with his hand on the doorknob. 

Beomgyu looks back at him and takes in a deep breath, nodding both to himself and to Soobin. Soobin slowly pulls the door open, and after checking that the immediate area is clear, they step out, leaving behind the only safe place they’ve known since the world fell apart. 

Their eyes widen as they take in their surroundings, vision working to adjust to the overwhelming darkness in the absence of electricity. Their street that once held multiple houses, apartment complexes, and small businesses is now in ruins. Plants are beginning to wrap around and ensnare objects within their reach, Fall leaves dropping from overgrown tree branches. Many of the buildings are falling apart, glass littering the street, various misplaced items lying haphazardly, cars driven onto lawns and abandoned, everything burnt, shattered, destroyed. They’re pulled out of their shock by snarls coming from close by. They start to move, sticking close to the side of the house, light on their feet. Soobin hears Beomgyu’s quiet gasp from behind him as they see one of the zombies closeup for the first time, not from behind a window in the sanctuary of their home.

In the middle of the dark street are two zombies, both ripping into what looks like a deer, blood pooling around it’s corpse. Soobin takes in their appearance; skin pale, flesh rotting and falling off, missing in some places, covered in both fresh and dried, crusting blood, teeth snapping and tearing, a glimpse of dead eyes. Soobin feels nauseous, witnessing what’s left of what used to be humans, and what used to be their home. However, they don’t have the luxury of staying in place long enough to dwell on it, as they notice other zombies wandering along the street. Soobin motions for Beomgyu to follow him, putting his finger against his lips as they start to walk. They make their way down the quiet street, trying and failing to get accustomed to coming across bodies strewn over the cold ground, humans and zombies alike, all covered in blood.

They successfully make it out of their little neighborhood, sticking close to buildings and in shadows casted by the moonlight, heading closer to the small grocery store now a few blocks away. Soobin periodically checks on Beomgyu, taking note of his pasty appearance and wide, fearful eyes, focused on getting the younger to safety. As they get closer to the grocery store, it’s large decrepit letters finally coming into view, they have to dodge increasing numbers of zombies. Soobin’s shaking, his breathing shallow by the time there are only two streets between them and their destination. They’re coming up to the edge of a building when he notices that they won’t have anywhere to hide between where they’re at and the grocery store, the last stretch completely in the open, zombies occupying the space. 

He keeps going, Beomgyu close behind him, whose eyes are trained on the ground, until he stops abruptly, spotting a zombie a few feet from them to the left. Beomgyu bumps into him with a huff, his bat falling from his hand in surprise. It hits the ground with a deafening crack, echoing around them in the silent street. They both freeze. Dead eyes turn towards them, growls as their position is given away. Beomgyu leans down and picks the bat back up. 

“Shit- RUN!” Soobin yells just as the zombie to their left lunges towards them. 

They both break into a sprint, feet hitting the ground harshly as they run for the grocery store with everything they have. They’re faster than the zombies who stumble after them, but they can hear their screams just behind them as they run across the endless gap. They make it to the small building, only to realize with dread that the door is locked, not budging as Soobin pulls on it. 

“Shit shit shit!” Soobin stands back to kick at the door handle with no luck. He hears the snapping of teeth and the erratic sounds of the undead rushing towards them. 

“Help!” Soobin yells to anyone who may be listening, banging on the door desperately. 

They can’t run now, the zombies approaching from all sides, caging them against the sturdy grocery store door. Soobin continues pulling on the handle, his brain screaming at him. He’s about to give up, say his last goodbye to Beomgyu and accept their fate, when the door is yanked open, the two of them falling through it before it’s slammed shut behind them. 

They both lay, their chests heaving as their brains try to catch up with the fact that they’re still alive, that they made it. They hear the zombies outside hitting the door, snarling loudly, until they eventually fade, losing interest and wandering off. Soobin notices a boy standing in front of them, assuming he’s the one who’d opened the door for them. He extends his hand to Soobin, who, after eyeing it, accepts it and stands, helping Beomgyu do the same. 

The boy looks around the same age as them, maybe younger. He’s wearing dark converse, blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black bomber jacket, complete with a bag slung over one of his shoulders. He has brown hair and round eyes that are watching Soobin and Beomgyu warily. 

“Thank you.” Soobin tells him once his breathing resembles normal. 

“Did you get bit?” He replies, guarded, standing back from them. Soobin sees his hand itch towards the gun in the waistband of his jeans. 

“No, we didn’t get bit.” Soobin shakes his head. He’s surprised by the question, reminded that that’s something he’ll have to get used to asking and being asked. Him and Beomgyu stand still while the boy looks them over until he’s appeased with their lack of wounds. 

“I’m Soobin and this is my best friend Beomgyu.” He gestures to his friend next to him. 

“Thank you for saving us.” Beomgyu adds. 

“Uh huh, and how are you still alive? Clearly you don't know what you’re doing.” The boy deadpans. 

Soobin ignores the jab at them, knowing that he’s not wrong. He explains how they survived the past two months, living in their house with their supplies, only now leaving for the first time to find food. 

“Shit, so this is your first time out? Well sorry to tell you, but there isn’t any food to find here.” Soobin stops to look around them at the grocery store when he hears this. 

The shelves are all but empty, only a stray can or two remaining, trash and debris thrown over the floor. Soobin can’t imagine the chaos that went on to leave it in this state, everything obliterated. He hadn’t even thought to entertain the idea of this plan not working, dead set on finding food here and returning to the safety of their home.

“Fuck.” Soobin sits down and puts his head in his hands, the new boy sitting next to him. 

“I’m Huening Kai.” He displays a small smile. Soobin appreciates his attempt at cheering him up, or at least distracting him.

“So what’s your story Kai?” Beomgyu sits alongside the other two boys. 

“After all of this started, I was separated from my friends, we were traveling together. I’ve been trying to get to them ever since, I’ve heard that they found somewhere safe, out past the woods.”

“You’ve been by yourself this whole time?” Beomgyu asks in awe. 

“Yeah, I haven’t been able to get very far on my own yet. Just through the city.” Beomgyu and Soobin nod in understanding. “You know, you guys could come with me, if you want..” Kai rubs his neck with his hand.

“Really?” Soobin asks, entertaining the idea.

“Soobin, can I talk to you for a second over here?” Beomgyu’s voice is tight. Soobin stands, moving to follow Beomgyu to the side of the store. 

“Soobin, you aren’t actually thinking about this, are you? We were supposed to get food and go back home. Now you want to go god knows where with some random guy we just met!?” He throws his hands in the air. 

“I know, but we don’t have a choice. There’s no food, and you know we can’t stay here forever. There’s safety in numbers, and if he knows people, and they know a safe place, then I think he’s the best chance we’ve got.”

He sighs, rubbing his hand over his face, “Okay, fine. But if there’s even the slightest thing off about the guy, we’re out.” 

“Of course.” They walk back to where Kai is still sitting on the ground, rolling a can back and forth.

“We’d love to come with you.” Soobin announces when they reach him.

“Cool,” Kai answers, “we’ll sleep here tonight, gather supplies tomorrow, and then head out. Sound good?” The two of them agree, and after rummaging through the rubble that used to be the store, they’re able to find two sleeping bags and an extra backpack for Beomgyu that are in decent shape. The three of them lay their sleeping bags out in a small circle, checking that everything is locked and secure before laying down. 

Soobin lies awake for a long while, feeling restless, sensing that Beomgyu’s experiencing the same next to him. They try to close their eyes and fall asleep in the unfamiliar atmosphere, the cold ground underneath them, sounds of the infected around them. He finally falls asleep early in the morning, thoughts of the home he’ll never see again flooding his mind.

The next day the three boys pack up and prepare for their trek to the woods. They each have a backpack filled with their sleeping bags and what little food and water they’ve collected, Kai adding a first aid kit he has to his. Kai is armed with a handgun and a crowbar, Soobin makes sure his own gun is loaded and he picks up a broken piece of pipe that was lying in a puddle of water leaking from the ceiling, and Beomgyu sticks with his metal bat. It’s not ideal, but it’s not nothing either, at least that’s what Soobin tells himself. 

It’s near midday when they leave the grocery store, the sun high in the sky. Kai cracks open the metal door, making sure there are no zombies nearby before signaling for the other two to follow him. They walk methodically, beginning to make their way through the rundown city streets. For most of the day they go without trouble, ducking down and waiting for any wandering zombies to wander back off before continuing.

“There.” Kai says once they’ve stopped, pointing. 

Soobin and Beomgyu both turn their heads, spotting the outline of what looks like a barn in the distance among the trees. They’re on the outskirts of the city, the treeline of the forest in view from where they’re standing. Soobin thinks it looks like they should be home free. “Come on, we’re almost there.” Kai comments, ushering them forward. They’re heading down an empty alleyway when they hear the spitty screams of zombies coming from around the corner. 

“Shit, hide!” Kai ducks low to the ground. Soobin spots a door nearby and tries it, blowing out his breath in relief when it creaks open, showing a small storage room inside.

“Come on guys!” He enters the room, followed by Beomgyu and Kai. His curiosity getting the better of him, Soobin peeks out the open door just in time to see a man sprinting down the alleyway. He can hear the clashing of teeth from just behind him, but the zombies aren’t close enough to see where they’re hiding.

“Hey! Over here!” He gets the guys attention and he notices him, making a break for where they’re at.

“Soobin!” Kai chastises him.

“He needs help!” He retaliates just before the man reaches them, barreling inside the door as Soobin shuts it with a thud. He listens, but doesn’t hear the infected barge against the door. The four of them breathe heavily while doing their best to stay quiet. 

“Thanks.” The man says, chest heaving. Soobin thinks he can’t be older than mid twenties, his frame small and face delicate. 

“No problem. What’s your name?” Soobin asks him. 

“Luhan.” 

“You haven’t been bitten, have you?” Kai questions, his eyes trained on the man. 

“Nope, no bites.” Luhan extends his arms to show them his exposed skin. The three boys all look him over, alleviating their concern.

“So where are you headed? Soobin asks next.

“I’ve been trying to get through the city, I was holed up for a little while, but now I’m looking for my parents. They ran when all of this started.” 

“Well we’re heading for the woods. You can stick with us while you look, if you want?” Beomgyu offers, his generosity making Soobin smile. 

“Yeah, sure. Thank you.”

“Okay, we need to get moving.” Kai announces, cracking the door open again to see if the coast is clear. “Follow me.” He leaves the small room, the three others following his steps. They make it into the alleyway, moving forward until they’re almost out. When they near the edge of the brick walls next to them, they see a group of zombies dispersed by the exit, turning back to see zombies covering the street that they’d come from as well. 

“We’re going to have to fight, we have to get to the woods.” Kai eyes up the numerous zombies in front of them. 

Soobin pulls out his gun, but Kai puts his hand on the top of it, pushing it down and shaking his head. He points behind them before putting his finger against his lips. Soobin nods his understanding, and they all pull out their melee weapons. Soobin makes eye contact with Beomgyu, who’s visibly shaking. 

“It’ll be okay.” Soobin tells him in the most steady voice he can muster. Beomgyu draws in a deep breath. 

They move forward as a group, and Kai takes out the first zombie they see, his crowbar sticking in it’s skull before he pulls it out. Soobin feels nauseous at the bloody crunch as the zombie drops to the ground. This draws the attention of the few undead around them, all lunging towards them, decaying fingers stretched out and teeth snapping. 

His attention is torn away from Kai as one of the zombies comes at him, and he grips his pipe in his hands, trying to control his breathing. He swings it as hard as he can, connecting the metal with the zombie’s head. Adrenaline is running through his body as he hits the zombie again before turning to face the next one. He’s vaguely aware of Boemgyu and Kai doing the same next to him as zombies continue surrounding them. 

All he can hear is gnashing teeth and the blunt cracks of objects colliding with skin and bone. Every hit he lands makes his hands ache with the impact. They keep as quiet as they can manage while fighting off the flesh eating creatures, and Soobin thinks they’re going to make it out, the small hoard depleting. He’s just downed another one when he hears an anguished scream from behind him. 

“Luhan!” He yells as he sees a zombie latch itself onto the boy’s neck, teeth digging into the flesh. 

He hurries towards him, only to be stopped by a zombie blocking his path. He hits the shrieking zombie in front of him, trying desperately to make it to Luhan. He hears Boemgyu and Kai struggling, grunting with each swing, when the zombies lose interest in them and turn away. Soobin’s confused until he sees Luhan on the ground, yelling in agony, all of the zombies gravitating towards their easy meal. Boemgyu stares at the scene in front of them with wide, horrified eyes. Soobin goes to run for Luhan, but is held back by a firm grip on his wrist. 

“Soobin, we have to go now, while they’re distracted.” Kai tugs on his arm, trying to turn away. 

“No, we have to help him!” Soobin pleads. 

“It’s too late, he’s gone, come on.” Kai pulls on his wrist again. Soobin looks into the face of his terrified best friend, then back towards the boy they’d just met, zombies tearing into him.

“I’m sorry..” Soobin whispers before he forces himself to turn away, tears clouding his vision. He runs towards the trees, following Kai and Beomgyu, taking advantage of the preoccupied zombies. He clenches his jaw as Luhan’s screams behind him go silent.

None of them speak while they walk the rest of the way out of the city, leaving behind the towering buildings and nearing the dense trees. Soobin is lost in thought, his heart heavy for having left Luhan behind. The sound of his cries ingrained themselves in his head.

“Soobin.” Beomgyu says, nudging him with his shoulder. Soobin looks at him, snapping out of his thoughts. 

“I know you, I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not your fault.”

“I left him there to die, Gyu.” Soobin responds, his voice pained. 

“You tried, but there was nothing you could’ve done.” Beomgyu puts his hand on Soobin’s shoulder and squeezes lightly. Soobin offers him a small smile before they continue walking. They soon leave behind the concrete of the city to enter the forest, the trees growing more condensed as they progress.

“Hey guys, look.” Kai alerts the two, making them turn their attention to him. “We should search it.” He gestures to a sizable farmhouse up ahead. 

They veer off the path they’re on, anticipating that the aged building will contain needed supplies. As they approach the house they notice that the property has a large field stretching out before it, hay bales scattered over the flat ground. Kai leads Soobin and Beomgyu through the maze of hay, nearing the worn house. Soobin’s thoughts are occupied by Luhan as he walks, heart still weighed down by the events that took place. He flinches when Kai stumbles in front of him, resulting in a deafening siren wailing around them.

“Shit, it’s a tripwire.” Kai gets out before the first bullet rings through the air, whizzing by them and lodging itself in the dirt. “Get down!” He yells, and Soobin ducks behind a hay bale, head spinning, Beomgyu and Kai doing the same. Kai pulls his gun out and begins to take aim towards the farm house. Soobin attempts to copy his actions, hands shaky and unsure as he clutches his pistol. 

When he braves peeking over the hay bale as bullets rain over them, he distinguishes two silhouettes in the windows, guns trained on the grassy field. Kai’s returning their fire, bullets connecting with the wood surrounding the glass. 

“Stop! We’re not infected!” Soobin screams. He’s confident they’re close enough that his words are audible to the pair in the house, but the shots don’t cease regardless. 

“They’re not going to stop.” Kai’s eyes are set firmly as he voices what the three of them are dreading. Soobin nods, more to himself than anything, and turns to line up his shot. With hands sweating he fires off a number of rounds, none of them meeting their target. 

“Soobin, give me the gun.” Beomgyu’s voice strains over the unending gunfire. 

Soobin glances at him, the determined set of his features leading him to pass his pistol to the younger. Beomgyu doesn’t hesitate to begin firing alongside Kai, dropping the magazine when it’s empty and snapping a new one into place. Soobin’s face is twisted in fear next to him as he cowers, defenseless, from the barrage of bullets all intended to end his life. The smell of gunpowder and sound of the ear piercing alarm assault his senses. 

The commotion around them abruptly subsides, the ringing in Soobin’s ears all that remains of the fallout. Once he’d fired his last shot Kai found the source of the blaring noise and silenced it. Soobin’s pulse doesn’t have the opportunity to abandon its quickened state as an onslaught of zombies begin to filter through the trees behind them.

“The house is clear, we have to go.” Kai stands to usher them forward, the group hurrying to get indoors. They barricade the door after dashing through it, ensuring that any other doors and windows are sufficiently barred. Soobin sits when they’re finished, panting. Beomgyu sits next to him as Kai keeps watch.

“Thanks Gyu, you saved my ass back there.” Soobin admits with a winded chuckle. 

“No problem.” Beomgyu’s tired voice matches Soobin’s. 

When his heart’s finished racing, Soobin stands, wandering up the questionably brittle stairs after Kai. He pushes open the heavy door at the top of the stairs, regretting doing so when he enters the spacious bedroom. Lying motionless on the ground in growing pools of dark blood are a man and a woman, greying hair stained with the red liquid. Bile rises in his throat, and he has to divert his attention to Kai until he feels like he can breathe again. 

“I wish we didn’t have to kill them.” His voice barely reaches Kai, his eyes fixated on the wooden floor.

“I know, but if we’d tried to run they would’ve shot us. We didn’t have a choice.” Kai pauses rummaging through the room’s drawers to console Soobin. 

Beomgyu joins them then, the squeaking floorboards alerting them to his presence before he steps in the room. He pauses to survey the bodies on the ground as Soobin had, head bowed. 

The three of them finish scouting the space for anything useful, and they check that the zombies have lost interest and drifted off before returning outside. They continue the direction they were heading with two new hunting rifles in the hands of Beomgyu and Kai, additional ammo, and the hindsight to be more aware when approaching townhouses. 

The sun dances across the sky as they venture deeper into the woods. Occasionally they make light small talk, but for a majority of the distance they walk in comfortable silence. Soobin hopes that their confidence in Kai and his sense of direction isn’t misplaced. 

“What’s that?” Soobin’s train of thought is derailed by Beomgyu’s question. 

They spot a group of zombies crowding around one of the trees, all snarling and scratching at something in it. As they approach they can see a boy in the tree, staring at the zombies below in terror. Soobin notices that the boy can’t be much older than them, and is overwhelmed by the desire to help him, thoughts of Luhan still swirling in his mind, guilt dragging him down. 

He pulls out his gun, lining up the shot with one of the zombie’s heads. He pauses, breathing in deeply before squeezing the trigger. He misses. Kai’s head snaps towards him at the same time as the zombie’s heads do. They abandon the tree, hobbling towards the three of them instead. He raises his gun again as they approach, managing to hit one while Beomgyu does the same with his rifle. Kai fires two shots, managing to kill two zombies, and Beomgyu shoots another two. Soobin fires two shots into one zombie before Kai and Beomgyu take out the remaining three zombies in quick succession. 

“Soobin, what were you thinking?” Kai reprimands him while checking that all the zombies remain unmoving.

“He needed help!” 

“I don’t mind if other survivors join us, but you can’t keep going out of your way to save people. We have to conserve our resources, and we have to protect ourselves first.” Kai reminds him. 

Soobin is about to argue, but ends up nodding sheepishly, admitting to himself that he’d overlooked that detail, thinking only of saving the boy. Kai thankfully lets the issue go, and all of them check their surroundings, trying to make sure that none of the nearby zombies heard their gunshots. When they’re satisfied that they’re safe for the time being, the three of them approach the tree as the boy is climbing down from it. Soobin takes in his appearance, black clothes, a worn backpack, and fiery red hair falling just above his large doe eyes. 

“Thank you for helping me.” He tells all of them when his feet are on the ground. All of them greet him in return, as well as check him for zombie bites, concluding that he’s unharmed. Four heads turn as they hear shuffling come from the nearby buildings, followed by throaty screams. 

“They heard us, we gotta go,” Kai tells them, “are you coming with us?” he asks the new boy, who nods, staring at Kai with his wide eyes. 

The four of them start sprinting through the trees, leaving behind the zombies racing towards them. The sun is beginning to set as they put increasing distance between them and the city, deep oranges casting shadows over the trees as they weave through them. 

“Guys wait.” The new boy says, urging the group to slow to a stop, all breathing heavily and looking towards him, waiting for him to continue.

“We can go to the barn I’ve been staying in, it’s safe.” The other three look to each other, shrugging their shoulders. Soobin thinks they seem to be thinking the same thing; that it’s going to be dark soon and they’d prefer to take their chances trusting the new boy than be out in the open with no shelter. 

“Okay, lead the way.” Kai accepts his offer, and the boy starts off, the others following close behind, exhausted and eager to have somewhere to stay, even for a short time. Soobin shivers as a cool breeze washes over him, his feet crunching the grass and leaves below him. When there’s a sliver of sunlight left, Soobin spots a small barn in the distance. They quicken their pace, reaching it soon after.

The new boy pulls open the large door, ushering them inside and closing it behind them. Soobin looks around, picking out signs of the boy’s story being true. He sees a sleeping bag in the corner on top of some hay, a few candles scattered that the boy starts lighting with a match, and various piles of empty cans. Hay is littered over the ground, piled in mounds over the barn floor. Soobin drops his backpack where he saw the boy setting his down, close to the barn door. Once the group is settled, they grab three cans of food and a bottle of water, sharing it between the four of them as they sit in a circle in the middle of the barn. 

“So what’s your name?” Beomgyu asks the boy as he takes a bite of the bland meal. 

“My name’s Taehyun.” 

“And what’s your story Taehyun?” Kai asks. Teahyun seems to pause before continuing. 

“This is my parent’s barn. I’ve been staying here this whole time, but I was low on food. That’s why I went to the city, but I got cornered by those zombies. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you guys hadn’t come along.” 

“Well I’m really glad we did.” Beomgyu comments. Taehyun beams at him, white teeth on show. Beomgyu smiles back, and Soobin notices a blush on his cheeks.

“Thank you for letting us stay here.” Soobin adds.

“Of course, it’s the least I could do.” Taehyun passes him the can. 

They finish their meal while getting to know one another. Kai shares that he’d wanted to become a singer before the apocalypse, Taehyun tells them that he used to love photography, Beomgyu mentions that he can play the guitar and enjoys doing art, and Soobin admits that he misses ice cream, making the rest of the group break out in laughter. Beomgyu and Taehyun seem to hold onto every word the other says, starry eyes focused on each other, oblivious to their clear mutual attraction. 

“We should try to get some sleep.” Kai advises when the conversation tapers off. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Soobin answers, and the other two nod in agreement. The three of them lay out their sleeping bags next to Taehyun’s, fashioning some of the hay into makeshift pillows. As Soobin lays down he thinks it beats the cold hard ground of the grocery store, but it’s hard not to longingly remember his soft bed back home. 

“Hey Gyu?” He turns his head towards Beomgyu next to him.

“Yeah?” Beomgyu looks back at him.

“I’m sorry our plan didn’t work out.” He hears Beomgyu chuckle.

“It’s okay. You were right, we couldn’t have stayed there forever. And plus, like you said, there’s strength in numbers.” Beomgyu’s eyes flit towards Taehyun. Soobin smiles at him in return before he closes his eyes. 

The next day Soobin wakes up to bright sunlight streaming in through the wooden ceiling and birds’ cheery chirping outside. He can almost forget where they are. Almost. They eat a quick breakfast together, sitting on the ground, talking about the plans for the day. Kai tells Taehyun about his friends, about where they’re trying to get to, and the other listens intently. Taehyun doesn’t answer when he’s finished, instead fidgeting with a piece of hay near his foot. 

“So, why are you out here by yourself? Where’s your family?” Beomgyu asks Taehyun, his voice soft. 

Soobin’s starting to worry that they’ve overstepped their bounds when Taehyun stands up and brushes off his pants. He starts to walk towards the barn door, nodding his head, indicating that the others should come with him. They all stand and follow, checking outside for safety before stepping into the Autumn sun.

Taehyun leads them away from the barn, across an old dirt road. Beomgyu gasps when he sees what they’re heading towards. They hadn’t noticed it in the dim light the night before. Lying at their feet is what used to be the farm house to accompany the barn they’re taking refuge in. Most of the house is missing, only the foundation and patches of wood remaining. The existing wood is black and charred, piles of it fallen to the ground, scorched furniture barely identifiable in the rubble.

“After the electricity went out, we used candles like everybody else. My sister accidentally knocked one over in the middle of the night one night.” Taehyun pauses before continuing. “The fire spread so fast, we couldn’t stop it. I tried to help them, but I- I was the only one who made it out, and I- fuck.” He stops, voice choking and tears falling from his eyes. Beomgyu steps forward, wrapping his arms around the boy. Taehyun buries his face in his shoulder, hands fisted in his shirt. After taking a minute, Taehyun steps back, taking deep breaths and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He gives Beomgyu a tentative smile before he turns towards Soobin and Kai again. 

“I’ve been here by myself ever since. I had no idea what I was going to do when I ran out of food.” 

“Well you’re more than welcome to come with us.” Kai tells him with a small smile.

“Thank you guys, I’ll come with you.” Taehyun responds. 

The four of them stand for a minute longer, looking at what remains of the house solemnly before Taehyun turns to leave first, grabbing Beomgyu’s hand to pull him along. Kai and Soobin share a look with each other before they follow. They regroup at the barn to grab their backpacks, packing away what little belongings they have. 

They set out with Kai in the lead, going through the forest in the direction of his lost friends. They spend the next few days in the same routine; cover as much ground as they can during the day and find somewhere to stay for the night before repeating the process in the morning. They’re able to pick up bits of food in buildings they come across, and they also spare a few bullets to hunt small forest animals, able to start a fire with their matches and cook the meat. 

Soobin finds comfort in the pattern, growing closer to the boys around him as they travel together. They encounter infected along the way, coming across mainly individuals as opposed to hordes, therefore easy for them to either avoid or kill. Soobin would feel concerned about how quickly he’s becoming desensitised to the quantity of death around him on a daily basis if it wasn’t necessary to survive. 

He thinks it’s just his luck when they come across a wide river flowing through their path buried deep in the woods. The four of them approach the edge of the river, and Soobin peers down to see the deep icy water below swirling angrily as it crashes over itself in its haste to race downstream. He shivers as his mind is overwhelmed with images of falling into the water and being dragged away by the current, gasping for breath as the cold water floods his lungs. He’s not the best swimmer. 

“Do you think we could go around?” Even to his own ears Soobin’s question sounds as small and apprehensive as he feels.

“I don’t think so. The river is too long.” Kai sounds sympathetic, although unrelenting. Soobin nods, gulping. 

They comb the riverside for a way across the expansive gap, finding it in a narrow log fallen across the river. Kai pushes on it with his foot to test its sturdiness, determining it safe enough for them to cross. To Soobin’s surprise, Taehyun opts to cross first, hopping onto the fallen tree and beginning the short trek, arms outstretched. Kai follows next with Soobin sticking close to him, and Beomgyu taking the rear.

As he faces the rushing water, Soobin’s surprised by the sudden thought to jump rising up in him. His mind tries to convince him that it would be better that way; end the suffering, fall into the peacefulness of death, escape the harsh difficulties of life. What’s the point in continuing on anyways? He shakes his head, attempting to rid it of the negative thoughts, pushing them back and focusing on the task at hand. 

He concentrates on putting one foot in front of the other, eyes tracing the indents in the wood below him. He repeatedly has to remind himself to breathe, chest restricting with each movement. He manages to inch half way across without incident before Taehyun is at the other side, jumping down to the ground. 

His foot moves forward while his eyes are on Taehyun and it slips on the moist bark, sliding off the side of the log. He lets out a yelp as his balance is thrown off, his weight pulling him down as he faces the unrelenting depths beneath him. He closes his eyes, preparing to be plunged through the surface of the water. 

But the submersion never comes. 

He opens his eyes, letting out a breath when he sees that Beomgyu had lunged forward, gripping his backpack to keep him from falling in. Beomgyu helps him regain his balance, and they’re able to reach the safety of the other side. Soobin doesn’t feel like his heart will burst out of his chest when his feet are back on solid ground.

“Thank you.” His eyes are full of gratitude as he addresses Beomgyu. 

“No problem. Again.” The younger teases. Soobin nudges him with a laugh, collecting himself as Kai starts leading them deeper into the forest. 

Soobin is elated when they don’t run into any more rivers, although he’s always attentive, listening for signs of running water. It feels safer with Taehyun, a steady presence in their group, another pair of eyes, another pair of hands to hold a gun, another friend. Soobin finds he enjoys the company of the red haired boy, talking with him as they navigate through the gnarled trees. 

They’re traipsing around the forest, searching for somewhere to stay for the night as the sun begins to set, the cool air causing them all to shiver. Soobin drags his feet, aching to lay down and rest, tired from being on the move for days on end. He’s relieved when Taehyun points out the silhouette of a farmhouse in the distance, and they start to make their way there. Soobin’s thoughts are filled with warm fire, a meal, and somewhere to lay his head when they hear a loud metallic snap and a blood curdling scream come from nearby. All of their heads whip around towards the sound, and Soobin is the first to run towards it to investigate. 

“Soobin, wait!” Kai runs after him, Taehyun and Beomgyu reluctantly following. 

Soobin hears growling grow louder as he nears where the sound originated. Sprawled on the dirt is a boy with bright yellow hair. His leg is caught in a bear trap, its teeth digging in just above his ankle, shredding the skin, blood seeping out from the wounds, soaking the cold earth beneath. 

The boy is grunting as he pulls at the trap, trying desperately to release its hold on him, his breathing heavy, and Soobin notices what the boy must’ve been running from. A hoard of zombies is scrambling towards them, uncoordinated feet hitting the ground as they bare their teeth, screeching ravenously. 

“Please, help me!” The boy begs, staring at Soobin with terror, and he drops to the ground, gripping the trap and pulling. The metal doesn’t budge. 

“There’s no time!” Kai yells, eyeing the zombies that are dangerously close to them now. 

Soobin ignores him, hands scurrying to grip anything, muscles straining to pull open the trap’s jaws. He looks up into the faces of the undead, eyes fixated on him. There’s too many of them, they can’t fight them off. He sees Taehyun and Beomgyu, faces terrified, standing like statues, itching to run but not wanting to leave Soobin behind. 

“Soobin, we have to go!” Kai screams. 

“Fuck!” Soobin pushes down on the sides of the trap with everything in him. It falls open, releasing the boy’s foot. 

“We have to make it to the house, come on!” Taehyun helps Soobin pull the boy to his feet. 

The group starts running towards the farm house they spotted, but Soobin pauses, turning to see the new boy limping, unable to put weight on his leg, skin pale, falling behind. He hears the wet snap of teeth growing closer. 

“He’s not going to make it, we have to leave him!” Kai’s strained voice comes from ahead of them. 

Soobin stops, chest heaving, and looks towards the house, then back at the boy, the distance immeasurable. He turns and runs to the boy’s side, pulling him onto his back. 

“Hold on!” The boy wraps his arms around Soobin’s neck. 

Soobin’s legs protest the added weight, but he pushes forward, breaking into a run. His muscles scream in overexertion as he sprints for the farm house as fast as his legs will allow, never seeming to get closer. He can hear the groaning of zombies behind him, almost close enough to reach out and grab him, pull him back into nothingness. He sees Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai reach the wooden porch of the house.

With one last burst of strength Soobin falls through the entrance, ending up on his back next to the boy as Kai slams the door shut. Taehyun and Beomgyu hurry to move a sturdy bookshelf in front of the door as they hear the chorus of zombies bellowing from the other side, slamming themselves against the wooden surface. The three of them check that all of the windows are sufficiently boarded up as Soobin sits up, breathing still erratic. 

“Soobin, what the hell!” Kai turns towards the older, accusation painting his words. 

“What?” Soobin shrinks into himself. 

“You put us all in danger, you could’ve gotten us killed!” Kai’s voice nears a scream. 

“I’m sorry, I just- I couldn’t leave him like I left Luhan. I’m sorry.” He relents, bowing his head.

“Fuck.“ Kai pauses. “It’s- it’s okay, Soobin,” He seems to deflate, letting out his anger in one breath, “Just please be more careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you, or any of us.” 

“I know, I’ll try to be more careful.” Kai smiles at him, and Soobin returns it with his own, relieved that the younger’s no longer upset with him. Their moment is interrupted by the boy next to him, his breaths shallow as he moans in distress. 

“Hold on.” Soobin turns, looking into his pained eyes. The boy looks back at him, holding his hand out to grab Soobin’s, using it to help him sit up and observe the state of his mangled leg. Kai grabs his first aid kit, heading over to them to assess the boy’s damaged ankle. 

“Oh so now you want to help me?” The boy spits at Kai when he gets closer. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kai retaliates.

“You wanted to leave me out there to die!” 

“We have to look out for ourselves. That’s the way this works. You’re just lucky Soobin was reckless enough to save your ass. But you’re here now, so hold still while I fix your foot.” Kai’s tone is warning. The boy scoffs, but ultimately remains quiet. 

After Kai ensures that there are no bites on the boy’s body, he gets to work cleaning his wound. The boy hisses as Kai applies the disinfectant, and his hand reaches out, grabbing onto Soobin’s again. Soobin grips his hand, offering what little solace he can to the injured boy. 

Soobin watches Kai’s movements, unmoving from the boy’s side, worry written on his face. Beomgyu and Taehyun sit back, catching their breath as they witness the scene in front of them. After a seemingly infinite amount of time, Kai finishes cleaning the boy’s leg and wrapping it in gauze. The boy seems more aware after the ordeal, growing calmer as his pain recedes. 

“Thank you.” He looks up at Kai, who nods as he cleans up the medical supplies he’d used. 

Soobin stands, holding out his hand to help the boy up, leading him to one of the dusty couches in the nearby living room. He sets him down with a huff, sitting next to him as Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Kai join them. 

“What’s your name?” Soobin asks once they’re all settled in the dim room. 

“It’s Yeonjun.” 

“What were you doing out here by yourself?” Beomgyu asks.

“I’d just finally made it out of the city, I’ve been on the run alone for a while now, just trying to find supplies. The group I was with didn’t make it out, so it’s just me. I thought I’d be safer in the woods, but then I ran into that horde, and I got caught in the trap trying to run away.” He stares down at his lap, avoiding the four pairs of eyes on him. 

“Well Kai has friends that have a safe place. They’re through the woods, that’s where we’re going. You could come with us?” Soobin offers, taking Kai’s usual place in explaining their plan to newcomers. He can’t help but feel a pull towards the yellow haired boy.

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” Yeonjun accepts, making Soobin smile. 

Soobin and Kai then take the opportunity to look through the rest of the farm house. It’s fairly large, complete with three bedrooms, one featuring a bunk bed. Soobin’s elated at the thought of being able to sleep in an actual bed after being deprived for so long. While the state of the house hints towards its neglect, Soobin thinks they’re lucky for having found it. They return downstairs to see Taehyun pulling out a match to light a few of the candles they’d found in addition to the ones he’d pulled out of his bag and set up, illuminating their faces in the growing darkness as the sun abandons the sky.

After collecting what little food the house has to offer, the group of boys sit in the living room to share a small meal. Kai is even able to find some spare firewood, placing it in the stone fireplace and igniting it with one of their matches. Soobin sits close to it, enjoying the soothing crackle and warmth on his skin as it radiates throughout the spacious house. They make small talk amongst themselves, and Soobin is glad to see that Yeonjun opens up easily, describing his life before the zombies with enthusiasm, his animated mood uplifting them all. 

Soobin observes him while he recounts how he used to be a dancer, admiring his almond brown eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips, glowing in the fire light. Soobin has no doubt that he was a beautiful dancer, his toned, lithe body built for it. Soobin finds himself laughing frequently throughout the night, his dimples showing as he can’t stop smiling while listening to his friends. He feels something resembling contentment for the first time in a long time, like the last piece of a puzzle has fit into place.

They sit for a long while, enjoying each other’s company and the peace that they’ve found for the time being. However, Taehyun suggests that they should get some sleep when he notices Beomgyu’s eyes falling closed. They all agree, exhausted after the trying day, and they stand, cleaning up before heading to the bedrooms. 

Yeonjun offers to take the couch, to which Soobin immediately objects, suggesting himself instead, but Kai insists that he be the one to sleep on it. Taehyun offers for Beomgyu to take one of the full sized beds, and the others decide that Soobin should get the other. They all unpack their things in their respective rooms and areas; Taehyun and Yeonjun taking the surprisingly spacious bunk beds, (Yeonjun on the bottom bunk for obvious reasons), Beomgyu in his own room, Soobin in another, and Kai downstairs on the couch. Soobin enters the room designated as his, dropping his backpack near the door. He sits on the edge of the bed, beyond ecstatic to lay on a real mattress again. He’s surprised to hear a gentle knock on his door moments later.

“Uh, come in.” The door’s pushed open, and Yeonjun steps in the room, closing the door behind him. 

Soobin smiles at him in greeting and scoots to one side of the bed, making room for the other to sit. Yeonjun walks over to the bed, keeping weight off of his injured foot, and sits next to Soobin, who turns his head to look at him, patiently waiting for him to speak. 

“I just, wanted to say thank you.. For saving me. I never got the chance to.” He looks at Soobin with soft features. 

“Oh, you’re welcome.” Is all Soobin can think to say in return, distracted, getting lost in Yeonjun’s eyes. “I’m glad I did.” He adds under his breath. 

Why hadn’t he noticed before how close Yeonjun is sitting to him? His heart beats faster in his chest. He lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding when Yeonjun speaks again. 

“Before, you mentioned something about someone named Luhan? What happened to him? If you’re comfortable telling me..” 

“We didn’t even know him,” Soobin starts, “we found him in the city, he was going to come with us. We ran into a horde, I tried to help him, but we ended up having to leave him behind.” 

“So that’s why you didn’t want to leave me behind too.” Yeonjun speaks more to himself than Soobin, who nods.

“I didn’t want anything like that to happen again, didn’t want anything to happen to you.” Yeonjun looks at him again, and instead of responding he leans over, wrapping his arms around Soobin, pulling him close. 

Soobin blushes, surprise slowing his reaction as he wraps his arms around the other in return. His stomach churns at their proximity, bodies pushed together. Yeonjun pulls away sooner than Soobin would like.

“I guess we should get some sleep, huh?” Yeonjun says with a small smile.

“Yeah, I guess you’re probably right.” Soobin rubs the back of his neck with his hand. 

Yeonjun starts to stand, wincing as he puts too much weight on his bandaged leg. Soobin rushes to help Yeonjun up, being there for him to put weight on if he needs it. He helps him to the door, and they face each other again.

“Goodnight Soobin.”

“Goodnight Yeonjun.” Soobin’s voice is almost a whisper. 

Yeonjun slips out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Soobin goes back and sits on the bed again, thinking about what just happened. He can’t keep a wide smile off of his face. He couldn’t be more glad he saved Yeonjun. He adds his sleeping bag to the top of the bed sheets for extra warmth before sliding underneath, adjusting until he’s comfortable. 

The soft mattress feels like heaven underneath his tired body, and his eyes fall closed almost instantly. He doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep when he’s woken up by another knock on his door. He raises his head at the sound, eyes struggling to stay open. He sees Beomgyu come through the door, head lowered. 

“Soobin? Sorry to wake you up..” 

“No it’s okay, come in.” Soobin rubs his eyes and sits up in the bed. “What’s up?” 

“I couldn’t sleep, so I was wondering if maybe I could sleep in here with you? I don’t want to be alone.” He whispers the last part under his breath, eyes not leaving the floor. 

“Yeah, of course Gyu.” Soobin makes room next to him in the bed and pulls back the covers. 

Beomgyu smiles at him, climbing into the bed and laying down next to him, their arms brushing. Soobin would be lying if he said he didn’t draw comfort from his best friend’s presence next to him. He hears Beomgyu’s soft breaths even out, and he follows him back into a deep sleep. 

They occupy the farm house for days, planning on staying as long as their limited resources will allow, giving Yeonjun time to heal as well as to search for extra supplies in the nearby areas. It becomes somewhat similar to a home, their bedrooms (and Kai’s couch) set up how they like, each of them falling into their own routine, figuring out how they fit into their group as a whole. 

Beomgyu and Soobin bicker about little things as usual while they do their part to help out, Taehyun and Kai argue over the rules of board games while the rest of them chuckle at their antics after dinner, Yeonjun takes up what little food preparation is required for their meals, doing his best to hand out what he learns they like. It works, they work. 

On one of these days, Beomgyu tells everyone that Kai is going to help him learn how to better use the traps to help them get food, as well as improve his hunting. Soobin, having been itching to search the woods further, suggests that he can do that while they’re out. Taehyun offers to go with him, assuming he’ll want to go farther than Beomgyu and Kai, who will stick close to the house. Yeonjun opts to stay inside, not being particularly mobile yet. Soobin and Taehyun head out first, offering their goodbyes and going into the forest in a direction they haven’t explored yet. 

They walk comfortably, finding a few stray houses and looking through them. They run into a number of infected, and Soobin is impressed by how Taehyun’s able to hold his own when they do. He takes the time to get to know Taehyun better, appreciative of the opportunity to do so. They talk about everything from their favorite colors and animals to what their lives were like pre-outbreak. Soobin finds his humor and charm endearing as they weave through topics.

After walking a long stretch, Soobin starts to notice that they haven’t run into any houses or other sorts of structures for a while. They continue through the trees, figuring they’ll see what they can find further ahead before turning back. He admires their surroundings, leaves floating off of branches, colors dull but appealing, the air crisp against their skin. 

“What is that?” Soobin’s thoughts are ended as he turns to see what Taehyun’s referring to and notices a flash of neon yellow through the trees. 

They get closer and see that it’s a bright yellow tent, its stakes messily shoved in the dirt. They pause, listening for any sign of movement or life coming from inside, hearing nothing long enough to deem it safe to search, although they both draw their guns, holding them low.

Soobin enters first, pulling the zipper open and peering inside. The overwhelming smell of decay hits his nose, making him gag. He turns his head away, meeting Taehyun’s confused expression. He waves him off, opening the tent the rest of the way and stepping inside with Taehyun following. 

The first thing they see is the source of the repulsive smell; a body slumped over against one side of the tent, its skin swollen and pale, splattered blood stains covering the expanse of the tent behind it. Soobin can see visible evidence of infection on the corpse, skin peeling off scrawny muscle, bones protruding awkwardly. He inspects the contents of the tent further, finding a sleeping bag, backpack, little food, and ammo strewn throughout the space, as well as a shotgun laid in the lap of the body. 

He leans down to grab the gun, offering his silent apologies, and something catches his eye as he does. Crumpled next to the body, flimsy and saturated with blood, is a handwritten note. Soobin pinches the corner, lifting the delicate parchment and standing up, squinting to read the messy writing strewn over it. 

Nora,

I’m sorry it had to end like this. I wish I could’ve protected you better, provided for you. After we got separated I tried to find you, but I couldn’t. I got lost, got overrun.

I got bit.

I walked as long as I could, but couldn’t find any shelter. At least I managed to put up the tent. I guess I owe you for bugging me until I brought it. 

I hope you can read my writing, I can’t see very well anymore, my head hurts so fucking bad, it’s hard to think. I’m burning up, haven’t been able to keep any food down. But I’m not going to let myself turn into one of those monsters.

If you ever find this, I hope you remember me as I was. I hope you remember us.

Be safe, I love you always.

\- Blaine 

Tears fall onto the stained paper as Soobin reads, heart aching and eyes stinging. 

“Soobin what’s wrong?” Taehyun, who’d been sifting through the man’s bag, stands to see Soobin’s head bowed. Soobin attempts to compose himself, sniffling and wiping his eyes. Taehyun walks up next to him and he hands him the note. 

“Oh my god..” Taehyun’s words are quiet when he’s finished reading. Soobin doesn’t reply, aware that nothing either of them could say in this moment would make it okay.

“Come on, we should get back.” Soobin’s voice is choked when he speaks. Taehyun nods, laying the note back on the ground next to the body. Soobin takes the gun with them, as well as the other usable supplies, before leaving the tent, zipping it closed behind them. 

As they head back the way they came, the discomfort is palpable, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

“Hey Taehyun?” Soobin looks over at the other, who hums in response, looking back at him with his doe eyes. 

“What’s the point in all of this?” He pauses, noticing Taehyun’s confused expression. “Is there even a point to us, or anyone, doing any of this to try to keep surviving when we could all so easily end up like that guy anyways; a shotgun in our mouth and goodbye note soaked in our blood? What are we even surviving for?” His voice grows exasperated by the time he’s finished talking, and he stops, turning to Taehyun to gauge his reaction. To his relief, anger at his sudden outburst is absent from the younger’s features. 

“Soobin..” Taehyun chooses his words carefully. “After what happened to my parents and sister, I felt the same way. I felt like there was no point in going on anymore, I felt hopeless, and furious.” He looks into Soobin’s eyes, face stern. 

“But even though they’re gone, I’m not. And I know that they would want me to keep trying, to survive, to never stop chasing safety and happiness. So many people are gone now, but we’re still here. And I think we owe it to all of them to keep going, to keep trying to salvage what’s left of the world, because it’s not hopeless. I found you, and Beomgyu, and Kai and Yeonjun. We have each other, and even if we could die tomorrow, or years from now, I’ll never stop fighting for my family, and for every other family still out there fighting too. That’s the point.”

Soobin stares at Taehyun, his mouth agape. He feels a mixture of amazement and comfort from the younger’s thoughtful and passionate words. 

“Taehyun, I- I don’t even know what to say.. that really helps, thank you.” His response is filled with sincerity. 

“Of course hyung.” Taehyun starts forward again, walking towards the house with Soobin following his lead. “I’m always here for you.” He adds, facing forward, and Soobin’s convinced he’s well beyond his 21 years. 

“Thank you. And I’m here for you too you know, if you ever need to talk about anything.” 

“I know.” Taehyun flashes him a bright smile, Soobin returning it with his own dimpled smile. 

“Since when have you been so smart?” Soobin teases.

“Since always!” Taehyun jokes back. “Everyone knows I’m the brains of the group.” He Puffs his chest out. 

“Yeah, whatever you say.” Soobin chuckles. 

Their moods are vastly improved as they cover the rest of the distance back to the house. They’re able to return to their lighthearted banter, Taehyun pulling out witty comebacks and insults faster than Soobin can comprehend, making him double over in laughter more than once. 

By the time they walk through the door of the farm house, Soobin feels light and grateful that he’d gone with Taehyun, despite the heart wrenching scene they’d stumbled across. He feels that he learned more about his friend, as well as himself, acknowledging dark thoughts that had been plaguing him, although now Taehyun’s words looping in his head keep them at bay. 

He conveys what had happened to Yeonjun later that night when it’s just the two of them left after dinner, and the older reveals that he’s faced the same demons. Yeonjun voices that he’s grateful for Taehyun comforting him, and he also offers his own words of comfort, which prove to fill any remaining holes of doubt in Soobin’s mind. As he falls asleep that night, Beomgyu snoring at his side, he feels more at ease than he has in weeks, the hopeless, oppressive clouds in his thoughts finally parting. 

Beomgyu stays in Soobin’s bed with him for a few more days, until he informs him that Yeonjun agreed to switch rooms with him, and he’ll instead share the bunk beds with Taehyun. Soobin smiles at the news, having not been blind to the less than platonic nuances between the two. He’s also grateful that Yeonjun will have a bigger bed to sleep on while he heals, growing more steady on his injured foot by the day. 

Soobin appreciates that they’re able to learn more about each other and bond as a group while they go about their days. He spends hours having conversations with Taehyun, Kai, and Yeonjun, sharing experiences and anecdotes, and he still never ceases to seek Beomgyu out often, yearning for his best friend’s company and conversation. The normality of having friends to banter with as they go through their abnormal days slaying zombies and surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is refreshing.

Soobin finds out an endearing fact about their fearless group leader when he sneaks down the stairs early one morning, restless and searching for a bottle of water. He smiles widely when he crosses through the living room to see Kai fast asleep on the couch, small snores escaping his lips. His arms are wrapped around a white molang plushie, and Soobin can’t help but think that that’s one of the cutest things he’s ever seen. He grabs a bottle of water and goes back up the stairs, a smile still on his face. 

They spend countless days scouring the surrounding woods, collecting any food and other useful supplies they’re able to. Beomgyu and Kai have taken charge of hunting, utilising traps to save them ammo. The 5 of them eat breakfast and dinner together every day, gathering around the fireplace in the living room. 

Yeonjun and Soobin find themselves more often than not staying up late together long after Kai, Beomgyu and Taehyun have turned in for the night. Soobin appreciates talking to Yeonjun, he makes him happy, eyes crinkling as he laughs, discussing shared interests and passionate disagreeances. (Yeonjun’s adamant that “No, Soobin, mint chocolate ice cream does NOT taste like toothpaste.”) Soobin feels comfortable around Yeonjun, carefree and elated during their moments frozen in time. 

He also can’t deny that he feels a flurry of butterflies let loose in his stomach every time Yeonjun laughs at his lame jokes, head tilted back, gorgeous smile on his face, the sound music to Soobin’s ears, or when he hits his shoulder playfully, the light contact feeling like electricity. He never wants the feeling to end.

Soobin can also tell that Beomgyu and Taehyun have grown close, shy smiles and playful flirting evident between the pair. 

When Yeonjun’s ankle is close to completely healed, Kai asks him if he’s able to head out and do his best to hunt, as he’s caught up in other things, to which the older accepts. Soobin hears himself offer to go with him, hiding behind the excuse of not wanting him to go out on his own. 

He regrets this rash decision when Yeonjun shakes him awake in the morning, the sky still dim outside his boarded window, and he drags himself out of the comfort of his bed. They each grab what they need, pulling jackets and their backpacks over their shoulders, and head out into the biting air. 

“Soobin, how can you be this bad!?” Yoenjun teases him when he’s missed the fourth rabbit of the morning. 

“Shut up! I’m just… out of practice.” Soobin pouts. Yeonjun laughs and takes over shooting for the rest of the morning. When they’re satisfied with what they’ve acquired for the day, they make their way towards the house, chuckling at each other and bumping shoulders. They make it back and take care of the meat, working in comfortable silence. 

“Okay, I am going to teach you to shoot.” Yeonjun tells him with once they’re finished with the task.

“I already know how to shoot, Jun.” 

“Well then I’m going to teach you to shoot better.” Soobin rolls his eyes at the other’s reply, but can’t keep from smiling. 

He ends up behind the farm house where Yeonjun has set up empty cans and bottles on various surfaces. They stand side by side as he pulls out his handgun and Yeonjun loads one of his own. Yeonjun raises his gun, pointing it at a bottle. He explains to Soobin what he’s doing as he lines up the shot, giving him tips as he goes. 

“Before you shoot, breathe out slowly, and then squeeze the trigger.” He does as he’d said, the bullet flying through the middle of the bottle, shattering it. 

“Impressive.” Soobin comments, and Yeonjun looks far too cocky, revelling in the praise. 

“Now your turn.” Yeonjun gestures to Soobin. 

He raises his gun, pointing it to a nearby can. He tries to follow Yeonjun’s instructions, lining up the shot, breathing out and pulling the trigger. He pouts when the bullet fails to hit any part of the target. 

“Here, let me help.” Soobin expects him to demonstrate another shot, and he freezes when instead he feels Yeonjun’s arms wrap around his shoulders. Yeonjun puts his hands over Soobin’s, holding onto the gun with him. Soobin feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest. He hopes Yeonjun doesn’t notice. 

He does his best to pay attention to what Yeonjun is telling him about the proper way to hold the gun, how to position his arms and feet. Yeonjun’s breath is hot on his neck, making goosebumps erupt over his skin. His arms feel warm around him, and Soobin wishes he could stay in them forever. 

“Okay, show me what you’ve got.” Yeonjun steps back from Soobin and throws a wink at him. Soobin blushes, aiming for the can again. He lines up the shot, breathes in, hears Yeonjun’s words in his head, breathes out. Squeezes the trigger.

“That was great!” Yeonjun yells, jumping and clapping before Soobin even notices the hole shot through the side of the can. 

“Hell yeah!” The bright smile that Yeonjun gives him is the best reward he can imagine. 

Over the next few days, Yeonjun’s leg heals up completely, and they start holding shooting practice at least once a day. Some days Kai or Taehyun or Beomgyu will join them, keeping their skills sharp. However, when it’s just the two of them, Soobin admittedly plays dumb on more than one occassion, asking Yeonjun to ‘remind him how to hold the gun again,’ just so he’ll wrap hs arms around him, but Yeonjun seems more than happy to oblige. 

He begins to notice significant improvements in his shooting, and he and Yeonjun help alleviate some of the burden of hunting off of Kai and Beomgyu’s shoulders. Soobin is happy with the little home they’ve created. He wishes they could stay like this indefinitely, but realistically he knows that’s only a dream. They will run out of resources, it’s inevitable. He’s also aware that they’d be safer with Kai’s group of friends, but worry constricts him when he thinks of facing the outside world again, all of the horrendous outcomes and possibilities. He doesn’t want to jeopardize his family.

On a bright morning, Kai announces that they’re going to search for supplies at a nearby house that they’d spotted the day before, and asks for all hands on deck. They all head out together, shoes crunching the fallen leaves. The sun shifts overhead as they move through the trees, keeping enough distance from any infected as to not be caught by them. Soobin smiles when Taehyun and Beomgyu walk by with fingers intertwined. Before long they make it to the abandoned house, it’s windows shattered and cracked door hanging off the hinges. Kai leads, pushing open the squeaky door and walking into the old house, the other four close behind. They split up, searching the space, opening drawers and checking cupboards. 

However, soon after they enter they’re all startled by commotion coming from up the stairs, stomping and a muffled voice filtering through the ceiling. They stand still before Kai gestures to be quiet, walking up the brittle stairs, the 4 boys following him with calculated steps. When they reach the second floor they see a closed door at the end of the hall, fumbling coming from behind it before they hear an ear piercing scream and a crash. 

They all rush forward, bursting through the door to see a zombie attacking a young boy in a small bedroom. Kai yanks it back, not hesitating before putting a bullet in it’s head. 

“No!” The little boy screams, tears streaming down his cheeks. He can’t be more than 8 years old. Soobin walks forward, and his heart breaks when the boy backs away from him, fear in his eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay, we won’t hurt you.” Soobin kneels down to the boy’s level. He cries harder, nearing hysteria. 

“What’s wrong, are you hurt?” Soobin keeps his voice gentle, attempting to calm him. The boy shakes his head, his brown hair flopping, and he points to the now dead zombie on the ground.

“That was my dad.” He states, and Soobin’s heart shatters, shards piercing and tearing where they fall. 

“Do you have anyone else? Where’s your mom?” Soobin attempts to maintain his level tone, ignoring the burning in the back of his eyes. 

“She’s gone. Daddy said she went to heaven.” The boy answers, still sniffling. Soobin hopes his sorrow isn’t showing on his face as tears threaten to spill over. 

“Okay, why don’t we go sit down?” Soobin suggests, doing his best to sound cheerful. 

He leads the boy over to the small bed, sitting on the edge of it with him. He’s vaguely aware of his 4 friends nearby, standing back and watching their interaction. Soobin feels like he can’t breathe when he notices the shallow bite in the boy’s arm, teeth marks unmistakable, the skin around it red, raised and swollen. He feels sick to his stomach. 

“Just ah, stay here for a second for me, okay?” Soobin manages to get out.

He walks towards the door on unsteady feet, his head dizzy. He’s grateful that the others get the message, following him out and closing the door behind them. 

“Soobin, what’s wrong?” He can hear the concern in Beomgyu’s voice, but he stares straight ahead, unable to answer. 

“Soobin? Are you okay?” Yeonjun speaks up, looking at his face, eyes swimming with worry. 

“He got bit, didn’t he?” Kai understands Soobin’s anguish. He nods in affirmation. 

“Fuck.” Kai breathes out. 

“What are we going to do?” Taehyun asks. 

“Can we just leave? Let him be?” Beomgyu offers. 

“No. There’s only one thing to do.” Kai responds, voice tight. 

“Kai.” Soobin speaks up, warning. 

“What, Soobin? We can’t let him turn into one of those things. It’s better for him this way.”

“He’s just a fucking kid!” Soobin fails to keep his voice down.

“We don’t have another choice.” Kai bites back. Soobin sees tears falling down Taehyun and Beomgyu’s faces as they stand huddled together. Kai pulls out his gun, turning to go back into the room. 

“No, you can’t!” Soobin lunges forward, hand reaching out to stop him.

“Soobin, don’t.” Yeonjun grabs onto Soobin, pulling him away from the younger boy. He holds onto Soobin, who watches as Kai goes through the door, stone faced. 

“No!” Soobin sobs, trying to break free from Yeonjun’s arms. 

Yeonjun holds onto him, leading him further down the hall. All of them freeze when a single gunshot rings through the air. It feels like the bullet went through Soobin instead, lungs constricting. He clings onto Yeonjun, burying his face in his chest as he sobs, heart aching for the little boy. 

He doesn’t know how long it is before Kai leaves the bedroom, eyes cloudy as he closes the door behind him, and the five of them walk down the creaky stairs. He feels numb. He doesn’t let Yeonjun go. Deserting the reason they’d gone to the house originally, they don’t scavenge for any more supplies before they leave, every one of them silent. 

That night the mood is heavy, none of them eager to eat their dinner. They go to bed early, too drained to do anything else. Soobin lays in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Every time he closes his eyes he sees the little boy’s crying face, hears the deafening final gunshot. When he gets up and shuffles down the hall, knocking on Yeonjun’s door before entering, neither of them need to say a word. Yeonjun pulls back the comforter, making room for Soobin. 

He crawls into bed next to the older, laying closer to him than is spatially necessary. He still stares at the ceiling, eyes refusing to stay closed, until Yeonjun takes his hand in his own, long fingers wrapping around his. He leans his head onto Yeonjun’s shoulder and feels like a dam breaks. Tears start streaming down his face, and he can’t keep his chest from heaving as he cries against Yeonjun, emotions like an avalanche. 

“It’s not fair.” Soobin manages between sobs, voice wrecked.

“I know Bin.” Yeonjun’s own voice is quiet and shaky. 

Yeonjun squeezes Soobin’s hand as he brings his other up, hesitating before running it through the younger’s hair. He continues the soothing movement until Soobin’s breathing calms, and Soobin wishes he were able to voice his appreciation for the comfort. He rubs his face against Yeonjun’s shoulder, hoping he gets the sentiment. He’s soon able to slip into a troubled sleep, his hand holding onto Yeonjun’s like a lifeline. 

The next day they all carry out their routines still emotionally on edge. Since none of them are itching to return to the house from the day before, they search other areas instead, coming up with little in the way of food. The ground grows increasingly frozen every day, and Soobin starts to worry that soon they won’t be able to find any more animals to hunt. He knows their time here is running out. 

He doesn’t mention staying in his bed the night before to Yeonjun, instead ignoring the occurrence. Although his heart swells when he remembers how he’d comforted him, dimples accompanying his smile as he recounts the feeling of Yeonjun’s fingers in his hair.

Soobin wishes he could find a way to lift his friends’ spirits as they go through the day disheartened, only beginning to resemble normal again when they sit down for dinner. He sits close to Yeonjun while they eat. Kai seems lost in thought, and Soobin notices Taehyun and Beomgyu sitting close together, their thighs flush against each other. 

He tries his best to mind his own business throughout their meal, but can’t keep from picking up on their shy glances, flushed cheeks, the way one of them will brush their hand down the other’s arm, or wipe a piece of food off the other’s lips. Their obvious flirting is overwhelmingly cute, and Soobin’s ashamed when jealousy overcomes him as he glances towards Yeonjun. 

After dinner the 5 of them disperse, and Soobin sits on the edge of his bed, unsure of what to do. He notices the wooden closet in his room that he hadn’t paid any attention to before. He cracks open the door, peeking inside. A few old shirts ridden with holes, a stray umbrella, nothing interesting. Although a smile finds its way to his face when he thinks he sees something else inside, pulling the door open the rest of the way and grabbing it. 

“Hey guys, look what I found!” Soobin walks down the stairs to see Kai cleaning his gun and Beomgyu and Taehyun sitting close together talking. Yeonjun joins them in the living room to see what he’s brought. He presents a beautiful wooden guitar to the group. 

“It was in the closet upstairs.” He’s delighted to see the interest on their faces. 

“Beomgyu, do you think you could play something?” He extends the guitar to the other. 

Beomgyu looks uncertain, eyeing the instrument, but takes it from Soobin’s hands. Soobin sits on the ground, Yeonjun sitting next to him, and Kai finishes putting his gun back together before joining the group. They all watch as Beomgyu does his best to tune the aged guitar. When it’s in as good of shape as it’s going to get, Beomgyu runs his fingers across the strings experimentally. He tries out a couple chords, fingers moving from memory, and each gentle sound makes Soobin smile. 

“I’m kind of rusty..” Beomgyu mumbles.

“It’s okay, you’re doing great.” Taehyun encourages him with a wide smile. 

Beomgyu smiles back before he attempts his first song. Soobin roughly recognizes the tune, the light melody flitting through the air, and he finds himself humming along. Yeonjun smiles next to him and joins in, their quiet hums accompanying the guitar. The group listens, thoroughly enjoying the music after being without it for months. Beomgyu stops playing, seeming to think for a moment before he begins again. 

This time Soobin is sure he knows the song. It’s melody is fast and cheerful, and he nods his head to the beat. The group seems energized by the song, and Soobin can’t keep from singing, the words falling from his lips, surprised that he remembers them. He sings loudly, throwing his head back and chuckling at his own off-key tone. The others laugh at his carefree words, and one by one they all join in. Their voices mix together as they sing at the top of their lungs. When the song finishes, the last note leaving the guitar strings, they all burst into laughter, feeling infinitely lighter. 

They quiet down, smiles on their faces, and Beomgyu starts playing again, making them all turn towards him. Soobin doesn’t recognize the song, and from the confused looks on the other three’s faces, they don’t either. It’s unhurried, the chords deliberate and precise. Soobin’s eyes widen as Beomgyu starts singing, the lyrics fitting the melody, words describing a personal struggle and trying to find one’s self in their reflection, staring into a mirror. It’s beautiful, and all four boys sit, enthralled by the touching song. 

“Wow, what was that?” Kai asks when Beomgyu stops playing. 

“I uh, I wrote it.” Beomgyu confesses, looking away from his friend’s faces.

“Wait, you wrote that!?” Taehyun says, amazed. 

“Yeah.” Beomgyu replies with a shy chuckle. 

“Beomgyu, that’s incredible.” Soobin tells him, blown away by his best friend’s talent. 

“It was really good.” Yeonjun confirms. Beomgyu smiles, blushing under the barrage of compliments. 

They listen to Beomgyu play for a while longer, taking turns requesting songs they remember, singing along and laughing. Soobin’s cheeks hurt from smiling by the time they decide to head to bed. The five of them bid their goodnights to each other before going their separate ways. Soobin’s about to head for his room when he sees Beomgyu stand, guitar still in hand, and lead Taehyun up the stairs with his other, the click of their door heard from upstairs.

He pauses for a moment and then follows their steps. He passes by their room on the way to his own, and stops to listen when he hears gentle strumming coming from inside. With a soft smile on his face, he listens as Beomgyu’s voice overlays the guitar chords. He can’t make out what he’s playing, but it sounds gentle, loving, Beomgyu’s smooth voice perfect for the song. It makes Soobin smile wider. When he leaves to walk to his room, his empty, lonely bed waiting for him, he turns back to look at Yeonjun’s door longingly before pushing his own door open and closing it behind him. 

The next morning, Beomgyu is all smiles as they eat breakfast and start the day. When his friend finishes cleaning his guns on the worn kitchen counter, Soobin approaches to ask if he can talk to him in his room. 

“Is everything okay?” Beomgyu sits down on the bed, Soobin joining him.

“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to find out what’s going on between you and Taehyun. Plus, I feel like we haven’t talked in a while.” Soobin’s tone is teasing but sincere. 

“Oh, yeah.. I guess we’re, kind of a thing now.” Beomgyu rubs his hand over his neck. 

“That’s great! I really like him.” Soobin smiles. 

“Bin, I.. I think I love him.” Beomgyu’s cheeks redden as he confesses. 

“You should tell him.” Beomgyu snaps his head up in surprise. 

“I don’t know..”

“It’s up to you, but I really think you should. It seems like he feels the same.”

“Okay, thank you. I think I’ll try.” Beomgyu pauses, “So does that mean you’re going to tell Yeonjun you like him?” Beomgyu’s tone changes to tease him back. Soobin feels his own cheeks heat up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He mumbles.

“You’re not exactly subtle about it. But lucky for you, neither is he.” Beomgyu smirks.

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Soobin dismisses, making Beomgyu laugh, ignoring the hope bubbling in his chest at his friend’s words. They spend a while longer together before they continue their day, and Soobin can’t help but appreciate how lucky he is to have a friend like Beomgyu. 

After a few uneventful days, Kai tells everyone that he needs to talk to them. Soobin’s heart sinks, having an idea what the younger is going to say. 

“We have to leave.” Kai announces, confirming Soobin’s fear. Nobody responds. 

“We’re running out of food here, Yeonjun is healed, and we need to find my friends. It’s time to go.” The rest of them nod, knowing he’s right, but solemn at the idea of leaving their little home. 

They spend one more night in the house, and the next morning they make sure all of their things are gathered and tucked into their backpacks. They leave the house, saying their goodbyes to the structure as they walk out the door, and Soobin sees Beomgyu set the guitar down next to the door before leaving.

Kai tells them that they should be able to reach his friends in a matter of days, and Soobin can only hope that he’s right. After they set out, Soobin finds himself more often than not gravitating towards Yeonjun’s side, the 5 of them talking amongst themselves as they make progress through the dense forest. Soobin eventually notices that they’re coming up to a clearing, not noticing there’s something off until they step into it. 

All of the trees in the vicinity are broken and splintered, bent at awkward angles. They follow the trail of destroyed foliage, the dirt upturned under their feet, until they reach the source of the destruction. Sat in the center of the open space is a crashed plane, a majority of it ripped to pieces, parts strewn over the grass.

“Woah..” Yeonjun’s eyes are wide, mouth agape as he stares at the sight in front of them.

“Should we search it?” Beomgyu questions to the group.

“Might as well, there might be some useful things. Just be careful.” Kai starts forward, the other four falling in line behind him as they approach the fallen aircraft. 

Soobin watches his feet while he walks, solemn as he steps over the countless bodies of passengers and their forgotten luggage. The sudden overpowering smell of rotting flesh lingering in the air makes his stomach churn uncomfortably. Beomgyu and Taehyun pause to sift through suitcases, and Soobin continues on to reach what’s left of the plane, Yeonjun and Kai close behind him. He steps onto the plane floor and into the aisle, many of the seats on the sides still intact. 

The three of them separate, each gravitating towards inspecting a different area of the wreckage. Soobin moves further down the aisle, eyeing what’s left behind of the people who occupied the seats. His heart leaps into his chest when he walks past a row of seats to be met with explosive snarling and snapping teeth. He jumps back, drawing his gun and aiming it at the source of the noise. 

Suspended behind a seatbelt in the row next to him is a zombie, skin pale and drooping, bones jutting out, cold, lifeless eyes zeroed in on Soobin with a predatory hunger. The zombie lunges forward, held back by the seatbelt but struggling nonetheless to reach him, arms flailing and outstretched fingers clawing as it screeches. Soobin stands unmoving, overcome with heartache as he comes to the crushing realization that trapped in front of him is the shell of a person. He pictures what their life might’ve been before the outbreak, if they had a career they were passionate about, hobbies that made their days better, a loving family. He imagines how terrified they must’ve been when their plane was overrun and it plummeted towards the ground, how they were paralyzed and helpless as they drew their last living breath.

Tears spring to Soobin’s eyes, and he’s slow to react when Yeonjun comes up behind him, driving a knife into the zombie’s neck without hesitation. The tears slip down his cheeks as the zombie slumps forward, motionless. Yeonjun turns and notices Soobin’s red tipped nose and quiet sniffling, rushing to comfort him, wiping the tears with his thumbs. Yeonjun asks if he did something wrong, how he can help, and Soobin feels appreciative of his concern. 

He takes a deep breath before explaining his train of thought to the older. Yeonjun looks at him with understanding in his eyes as he listens. When Soobin’s finished, Yeonjun wipes the remaining tears from his cheeks before he pulls him in for a crushing hug. Soobin tucks his face into Yeonjun’s neck, breathing in a deep breath. 

“I don’t want to lose you Jun.” Soobin’s voice is muffled as he speaks, and Yeonjun lifts his head to listen. “I don’t want you to turn into one of those things.” 

“I know Bin, you won’t lose me. I’ll always be here for you.” Yeonjun hugs him tighter. He pulls back after a minute, feeling more at ease, offering Yeonjun a tentative smile. 

They search the remainder of the plane together, opening suitcases to pull apart the piles of clothes and accessories inside, showing the other when they find something useful or interesting. Occasionally they check on the rest of the group, who are busy doing the same. Soobin feels a mixture of sorrow and fascination as they find each little piece of the past.

After covering the expanse of the plane and surrounding area and gathering what they can, the group decides they’ve overstayed their welcome. They were able to scavenge additional medical supplies, rags, and warmer layers for those who need them. Soobin follows the others past the plane, leaving the rubble behind, and he can’t help but glance around him as he goes. He passes by shoes, sunglasses, handbags, torn books. Countless items that hint at the person who once possessed them, the person who’s now gone. He forces himself to look up and keep walking.

They walk until the sun falls low in the sky, and they’re able to find somewhere to sleep. For days they repeat the same process, going along twisting paths through the trees, gathering anything useful they find, and staying in a safe enough place for the night. Soobin wonders how close they’re getting to their destination, miles of forest behind them by now. When they begin the journey again in the morning, angry grey clouds hang overhead, threatening to spill over. 

The sky darkens, gloomy shadows cast over them, the smell of rain drifting through the air. As they go further the wind picks up, whipping against their skin and tangling their hair. Light rain accompanies it, falling over them in a cold sheet. After discussing it, they decide not to turn back, instead pushing forward and taking their chances with mother nature in an effort to make as much progress as possible, opting to hope that the weather doesn’t get much worse. 

Soobin reflects that that was a dumb decision later in the day when they’re caught in the middle of a raging lightning storm with no shelter in sight. The terrain has been taking a more mountainous turn as they travel, and Kai tells them the fastest way to their destination is through a narrow ravine. They’re walking through the small pathway, shoes sloshing in the riverbed at their feet as rain pelts them from every direction, thunder sounding in their ears. Soobin can’t see past Beomgyu’s back, the unrelenting storm obscuring his vision, turning the world into a murky blur around him. 

The wind bites their skin as the dim sky brightens periodically with crackling lightning. The slopes on either side of them are steep, and they’re forced into a single file line, Yeonjun occupying the last spot in line with Soobin in front of him as they push through the torrential downpour. Soobin’s shivering from the cold, clothes drenched and feet submerged in water, each step feeling heavier than the last. 

“Look out!” Soobin hears as a loud boom of thunder is followed by a resounding snap. 

Before he’s able to register the events, Yeonjun grips his jacket, yanking him back just in time to avoid the enormous tree that falls where he was standing. He breathes heavily, realizing that the tree separated him and Yeonjun from the rest of their group. 

“Are you guys okay?” Soobin hears Beomgyu yell, his voice almost drowned out. 

“Yeah, we’re okay!” Soobin calls back. 

“Can you climb over?” Kai’s voice is quiet even as he shouts over the pouring rain. 

“No we can’t make it through!” Soobin answers, eyeing the tree blocking their entire path and the slippery mountains on either side, deeming them too treacherous to brave. 

“You’re going to have to go around and meet us on the other side!” Kai informs them. 

“That could take days!” Soobin shouts back, picturing the extensive terrain they’ll have to cover.

“It’s okay, we’ll wait for you! Just try to find shelter, and be safe!” Kai advises, and Soobin voices his agreement to the plan, telling the group he’ll see them soon. Reluctantly, he turns away, following Yeonjun’s lead back the way they came. 

When the two boys stumble across an old barn to stay in for the night, they’re soaked to the bone and exhausted. The rain is still falling when they pull open the door, making sure the space is clear of zombies and people alike before they drop their bags to the ground, easing their sore backs. They have just enough energy remaining to lay out their sleeping bags on the hay, unconsciousness taking them when they lay down. 

Thankfully the rain has stopped when they wake up the next morning, but Soobin can still smell the moisture in the air. He hides a smile behind his hand when he sees Yeonjun’s bedhead, sleepy eyes blinking while he wakes up. Soobin feels enamored by him. They walk throughout the day, talking lightly when a subject comes up and grabbing any supplies they find on the way. They encounter dispersed houses, looking through those of them that are intact and vacant. 

Soobin is wandering through a battered farm house when he enters one of the rooms to spot something that makes him break out into a grin. He leans down, running his fingers over the grey bunny that he recognizes looks similar to the molang plush he’d seen Kai with. It has a spot of dirt on the ears, remaining otherwise unscathed, the fur soft to the touch. He picks it up, brushing the dirt off and squeezing it to his chest, affection and worry for his friends swirling there. He tucks the bunny away in his backpack and leaves to find Yeonjun.

They decide to stay in one of these houses for the night when the sun starts to lower. Soobin feels terrified every second they’re by themselves with little in the way of protection, as well as afraid for the fate of the rest of his group, but the presence of Yeonjun proves consoling. 

“Do you think they’re okay?” Soobin asks Yeonjun when they’re eating a small dinner. Yeonjun doesn’t need an explanation as to who he’s referring to. 

“Yeah, they have Kai with them, and Taehyun and Beomgyu are strong.” Yeonjun takes another bite of his food. Soobin hums, trusting the older’s words and his friends.

“I’m glad you’re with me.” Yeonjun lifts his head when Soobin speaks while looking down at his food. “Otherwise I would be so worried about you..” He trails off, cheeks tinted red. 

“Nowhere I’d rather be.” This time Soobin looks up at Yeonjun to see a glint in his soft eyes, a smile on his lips. He feels his cheeks redden further as he returns his smile. 

“So how did you and Beomgyu meet?” Soobin’s grateful for the change of topic, allowing his face to return to its normal color. 

He remembers the story fondly, and then dives into it, telling Yeonjun every detail. He describes how he’d met him in college in a class that neither of them had cared about. He recounts how they’d become friends even though they bickered about everything. They understood each other. Yeonjun smiles as Soobin talks passionately about the other.

“I’m glad you found a friend like him.” Yeonjun’s eyes are sparkling. 

“Yeah me too.” Soobin agrees. “And I’m glad I found you.” He whispers before he can stop himself, looking into Yeonjun’s eyes. Yeonjun smiles, looking back at him.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me..” Yeonjun breaks Soobin out of the trance he was in. “Here.” He reaches into his backpack. Soobin gasps when Yeonjun pulls out a necklace, placing it in his hands. There’s a single bullet casing wrapped in thin wire, attached to a silver chain.

“It’s from the first day we practiced shooting together. From when you shot that can, I saved it..” Yeonjun’s cheeks turn a misty pink. Soobin’s heart feels full to bursting with affection for the boy in front of him, beyond overwhelmed with appreciation as he beams at him. He throws his arms around Yeonjun, burying his face in his neck. 

“Thank you.” He mumbles into his skin. Yeonjun wraps his arms around Soobin’s waist. Soobin pulls back to ask for Yeonjun’s help, giving the necklace to him so he can put it around his neck, and he clasps it in the back before observing the accessory lying on his chest. 

“Beautiful.” Yeonjun breathes, eyes on Soobin. Soobin’s rendered speechless, staring at Yeonjun in surprise. 

“I mean, ah- it looks really good on you..” Yeonjun corrects, a blush coloring his cheeks. Soobin thinks he couldn’t be more adorable.

“I love it, thank you hyung.” Soobin looks down to admire the necklace before looking back at Yeonjun. It looks like Yeonjun is going to say something, but bites his tongue at the last second. They go to sleep that night lying close to each other, and Soobin can’t stop smiling, fingers reaching up to touch the heartfelt gift around his neck. 

The next day they set out early, eager to get back to their group as soon as possible. Soobin can’t help but smile as they walk, looking at Yeonjun just to look away each time the older returns his gaze. He pauses when they come across a large building nestled in the woods. He sees a crumbling sign in front of it labeling it as a wood manufacturing company. 

“Do you want to check it out?” Soobin gestures towards the building. 

“Sure, why not? Could be some useful stuff in there.” Yeonjun shrugs. 

They try to look through the dusty window before going in, unable to see what’s inside. It’s dark when they enter, the heavy bricks blocking most of the sunlight. After his eyes adjust to the change Soobin walks forward, stepping over large piles of rotting wood and debris. He searches through a few stray drawers, finding nothing useful or interesting, before he notices that Yeonjun isn’t with him anymore. 

“Yeonjun?” He calls out to the darkness, looking for him between machines. He tries to listen for any sign of the boy, hearing nothing but the quiet and his own footsteps. 

“Boo!” Yeonjun jumps out at Soobin, making him let out a surprised yelp.

“Fuck Jun, you scared me!” Soobin shoves him when he laughs at him, only causing him to laugh harder. Soobin smiles, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“Sorry! Couldn’t help myself.” Yeonjun teases, turning and jogging away from Soobin and further into the factory with a laugh thrown over his shoulder. 

“Hey, get back here!” Soobin calls after him with his own laugh. He can’t deny the relief that he feels to joke again, to act like a child, worry free. 

He runs after Yeonjun, weaving through doorways in the direction he’d seen him go. He stops when he loses track of him, still smiling. His smile drops when he hears uneven movements and telltale groaning. He freezes, blood running cold as images of Yeonjun bleeding from a bite wound flood his mind. 

“Yeonjun!” He bolts towards the sound, pulling his gun out. 

He flies into a room to meet an infected crouched over a body on the ground, teeth digging into it messily. Soobin feels bile rise in his throat, but he focuses on raising his gun, pausing before shooting the zombie in the back of the head. It drops to the ground and he races forward, eyes filled with tears, until he realizes that the body on the ground isn’t Yeonjun. He doesn’t have time to be relieved, spinning to see Yeonjun run in the room moments later. 

“Soobin, are you okay?” Yeonjun looks Soobin over for wounds. Soobin’s answer is interrupted by the roar of zombies coming from nearby.

“Shit, we gotta go!” Soobin hears inhuman screams growing louder. He runs after Yeonjun through the doorway, only to be cut off by a zombie rushing towards them. They screech to a halt, turning back the way they came. 

“This way, come on!” Yeonjun gestures, and they hurry to escape. They end up back in the same room, trying the other door with no luck, it’s blocked from the other side. 

“Fuck.” Yeonjun pulls out his gun, and Soobin follows suit. 

Three zombies barge through the door, running at them madly. Soobin’s hands shake as he shoots at the creatures, hitting one in the shoulder as Yeonjun fires his own bullets. He keeps shooting, his aim impaired by adrenaline, but he manages to kill two of them. The last one lunges at Yeonjun before Soobin can stop it, and Yeonjun pulls out a knife, stabbing it into the zombie’s neck multiple times. Yeonjun hurries to lead him out of the room, making for the door, but another group of infected swarms around them. 

Yeonjun runs ahead to take on one of them while Soobin stays back, keeping his distance and firing as accurately as he can, the loud sounds disorienting him. He hears Yeonjun’s grunts nearby, trying to make sure the other is okay, and he’s caught off guard, a zombie tackling him to the ground, knocking his gun out of his hands. Teeth gnash, growing closer to him as he pushes against the zombie’s chest, his muscles straining, but he can’t force it off. It’s screaming in his face, bony fingers clawing at him. 

“Yeonjun!” Soobin screams just before a knife is plunged into the back of the zombie’s skull. He throws it off of him, sitting up, chest heaving while he stands on shaky legs.

“Soobin, are you okay?” 

“Jun!” Soobin runs into his arms. “I thought something happened to you, I thought you were dead.” 

“I’m okay Bin. It’s okay.” Yeonjun assures him. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He pulls back, grabbing Soobin’s hand and leading him out of the building.

They’re both still shaken up when they stumble on an old house to stay in for the night. They walk in, checking that all the rooms are empty before they get settled. 

“Are you sure it’s clear?” Soobin asks as Yeonjun comes back into the living room, voice timid. 

“I promise.” Yeonjun holds Soobin’s shaking hands in his. “We’re safe.” He gives Soobin a small smile. Soobin returns the smile, fear from what had happened in the large building receding from his mind with Yeonjun’s comforting words and soft touches.

Soobin’s relieved to see a fireplace similar to when the group stayed in the farm house. He finds stray pieces of wood, throwing them in and lighting them with a match. Yeonjun leaves and comes back with two cans while he works, handing one to him when he’s finished. Soobin doesn’t stray far from Yeonjun’s side, sitting close to him while they eat. 

When they’re done, Soobin searches the house on his own, leaving Yeonjun in the living room, finding a few extra cans of food. He also finds something in the kitchen that he thought he’d never see again. When he goes back into the living room to share his find, he sees Yeonjun sitting on one of the couches, staring into the fire, face pensive. He sits down next to him.

“Everything okay?” Yeonjun stays quiet, and Soobin almost thinks he isn’t going to answer him.

“Soobin, do you think I’m a good person?” Yeonjun’s words catch Soobin by surprise. 

“Of course hyung, why would you ask that?” 

“I was just wondering...” 

“Jun, you can tell me anything.” Yeonjun sighs.

“When the outbreak first started, the first thing I did was go to my parent’s house.” He starts, and Soobin gives him his full attention. “My little brother lived with them too. I wanted to make sure they were safe. I stayed with them for a while, until we started running out of food. My parents went together to find more. They told me to look out for my brother until they came back, but… they never did.” He pauses, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. 

“One day, I wasn’t watching my brother close enough. He told me he was bored, and I didn’t listen, I just told him to go play with his toys. He went outside, and I wasn’t there to stop him. He got bit. I got him back inside as fast as I could, but I had to- I..”

“Yeonjun, you don’t have to say it, it’s okay.”

“No, Soobin, it’s not fucking okay!” Yeonjun explodes, “I killed my own brother! It was my job to look after him and I didn’t. He died because of me, how is that okay!?” He breaks down, sobbing. Soobin puts his arms around the boy, who immediately melts into him, burying his face in his shirt. Soobin rubs his back as he cries, hushing him with soft tones. He waits until Yeonjun calms down to speak. 

“Yeonjun, it is okay. That’s an incredibly difficult situation, and you made a mistake, but you can’t keep blaming yourself. You are a good person.” 

“But I-” 

“No, listen to me.” Soobin interrupts his rebuttal. “You are an amazing person. You’re compassionate, loyal, smart, strong, considerate, fearless, selfless. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever met.” He puts every ounce of truth and conviction into his words. Yeonjun sits back, wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

“Do you really mean that?” 

“Every word.” 

“Thank you..” Yeonjun tells him, sounding small.

“Thank you for telling me.” Soobin replies, and Yeonjun nods. “I’m glad you trust me.” He adds. Yeonjun pauses, turning his head to look around the room. 

“I mean, it’s not like I exactly have a lot of options here.” He gestures at the otherwise empty space around them with a sly smirk.

“Hey!” Soobin shoves Yeonjun, making them both break out in laughter.

Soobin talks with Yeonjun for a few minutes longer, trying to take his mind off of their previous emotionally charged conversation. Yeonjun does seem to cheer up somewhat, becoming more his playful self. 

“Want to play?” Yeonjun holds up a stack of cards that he’d found. 

Soobin’s thrilled by the idea, thrilled by any idea as long as Yeonjun’s with him, and they start playing any and every game that they know of, even if they don’t remember all of the rules. Yeonjun beats him at a majority of them, but Soobin doesn’t mind because the proud smile Yeonjun displays every time feels better than winning any game. They both laugh more freely as the night goes on, Soobin pouting every time he loses just so Yeonjun will cheer him up, Yeonjun cheering when he wins yet another game. Soobin thinks he could listen to Yeonjun laugh forever. 

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Look what I found!” Soobin remembers what he’d found in the kitchen. He holds two twinkies out to Yeonjun, the package crinkling in his hands. 

“No fucking way!” Yeonjun’s eyes grow wide. 

Soobin opens the plastic, handing one of the cakes to Yeonjun. They each bite into theirs, savoring the flavor. The staleness doesn’t bother Soobin as the creaminess melts in his mouth, but if he’s honest with himself, he enjoys the delighted moan from Yeonjun far more than the sugary treat. 

They play a few more games together, lighting candles when the sky darkens outside. However, after Soobin loses yet again, Yeonjun sets the cards aside before turning to face Soobin, who does the same. 

“Can I ask you something?” Yeonjun asks.

“Uh yeah, sure, anything.” Yeonjun seems to hesitate when Soobin answers, fighting with himself, before he says what’s on his mind.

“Did you and Beomgyu ever date?” Yeonjun doesn’t look at Soobin as he asks. Soobin can’t help but let out a laugh at the question, but feels guilty when Yeonjun looks further embarrassed. 

“No, we never dated.” He sobers and shrugs his shoulders. 

“Because you like girls?” 

“Because we’ve always been just friends.” Soobin clarifies, Yeonjun nodding at his answer. 

“Can I ask you something?” Soobin copies Yeonjun’s words. 

“Of course.” 

“Do you think we ever would’ve met if none of this had happened?” Yeonjun hums in thought at Soobin’s question. 

“I’d like to think so.” He says. “Maybe we would’ve met just walking by on the street, or at a cafe, or a club. I think you would make me nervous, but I’d work up the courage to talk to you, say hello, because you’d have caught my eye. Maybe I’d ask you on a date, and maybe, if I was really lucky, you’d say yes.” Yeonjun’s voice is just above a whisper by the end, staring into Soobin’s eyes. 

“Because no matter what, I’ll always find my way back to you.” Yeonjun’s face inches closer to Soobin’s.

“Yeonjun…” Soobin breathes. 

Yeonjun leans forward, closing the gap, lips meeting Soobin’s. 

It feels like heaven, like twinkies and warm beds and tight hugs and every good thing in the world wrapped into the feeling of Yeonjun’s full lips fit perfectly against his own. 

Yeonjun pulls back suddenly. 

“I’m sorry!” His eyes fill with panic.

“Why?” Soobin’s voice is barely audible, and he doesn’t wait for an answer, putting his hand on Yeonjun’s neck and pulling him in to meet his lips again. 

Yeonjun responds, pulling Soobin closer as he explores his mouth, one hand moving to tangle in his hair. Soobin sighs, hands gripping Yeonjun’s waist, fingers finding the soft scorching skin under the hem of his t-shirt. Far too soon, Yeonjun pulls back again, smiling widely. Soobin finds he can’t stop smiling either, eyes turning into crescent moons as he leans his forehead against Yeonjun’s. 

That night, they lay on one of their sleeping bags laid out flat, facing each other with the other sleeping bag thrown over them. Soobin can’t help but trace the features of Yeonjun’s face with his finger, looking at him with adoration. 

“Hey Soobin?” Yeonjun’s voice breaks the silence. 

“Yeah?” 

“I’m in love with you.” 

And it’s like every piece falls into place.

“I’m in love with you too Choi Yeonjun.” He kisses Yeonjun again, slowly, gently. 

He falls asleep with his head on Yeonjun’s chest, his warm arms around him, and the feeling of Yeonjun’s lips on his. 

After Soobin wakes up, comfortable and content in Yeonjun’s arms, he pulls himself away to get ready for the day. He can’t stop smiling as he does, blushing every time Yeonjun looks his way. One of them will sneak a kiss from the other while they’re eating breakfast, or when they’re packing up their belongings, and it makes Soobin’s stomach flip excitedly every time, without fail. 

They walk along the steep hill that had separated them from their group, on the other side of the deep ravine, until they see where the small creek lets out. They go down the path the other three would have, looking for anywhere they might be waiting for them. As they follow the route, they check an old house with the roof caved in and a falling down barn with no luck, until they see a house in the distance that seems to be in decent condition. 

While they approach the house, Soobin takes Yeonjun’s hand in his, cooing at the adorable smile on Yeonjun’s face when he does. Yeonjun leads him up the wooden steps, and they can hear the sounds of familiar voices before he knocks on the door with his free hand.

“Hey guys? It’s us!” Yeonjun calls, assuming the door is blocked. They hear a loud scraping before the door flies open.

“Soobin!” Beomgyu flings himself at the taller boy. Soobin lets go of Yeonjun’s hand to wrap both of them around his friend. 

“We were so worried about you guys!” 

“We’re okay, Gyu.” Soobin responds with a chuckle. Beomgyu lets him go, and the three of them enter the house together. 

“You made it!” Taehyun walks up to greet them, the other two smiling at him in return. 

“I’m so glad you’re back.” Soobin’s surprised when Kai pulls him in for a brief but crushing hug, and then does the same to Yeonjun. When they’re finished, they sit down to recount their time apart, as well as discuss next steps for the group. The three listen while Yeonjun describes their confrontation with the infected in the wood manufacturing building. 

He leaves out the details about what happened afterwards for now, throwing a knowing smile Soobin’s way. Kai recaps their own encounters when he’s done, as well as what supplies they’ve found. He also describes their approximate location in relation to where they’re trying to go, estimating a time frame for the rest of their journey. 

He guesses that they should be able to reach them in a couple more days. Where they’re at is nearing the edge of the forest, and they’re not sure the landscape that lies beyond, or what condition it’s in. They have to be prepared for all possibilities. They spend the remainder of the day planning and strategizing. After they share dinner together and the sky loses it’s light around them, plunging the house into a quiet darkness, the 5 boys get settled for bed. 

Soobin and Yeonjun occupy the vacant extra bedroom, ignoring the questioning stares from the others when they inform them that they don’t need separate spaces. They tell their friends goodnight before entering the room, slipping into the old bed and curling around each other. Soobin falls asleep almost as soon as his head hits the pillow, grateful to be reunited with his friends and intertwined with Yeonjun. 

The group discusses their plan the next morning, and they decide to stay where they’re at for one more day and night, resting and gathering any needed supplies before making for the city. They each disperse to do their own thing, going through the rest of the day. Around midday Soobin reaches in his backpack to grab his gun, wanting to ensure that it’s in good working condition, and is reminded of something. He takes the plush from his bag and searches for Kai, finding him in the kitchen, his own bag on the table next to him as he inventories the ammo they still have. 

“Hey Kai.” He walks into the kitchen, hiding the plush behind his back. 

“Hi Soobin.” Kai smiles at him. 

“I have something for you.” Kai pauses what he’s doing to look at Soobin, head tilted. Soobin can’t help but feel giddy as he extends the grey bunny towards him. Kai hesitates, looking at the plush before he takes it out of his hands, examining it. 

“But how-”

“I kinda saw the other one you have.. I found that in one of the houses I searched with Yeonjun. It made me think of you and I thought you might like it.” Soobin stares at his feet, scuffing one against the wood. His head starts to fill with worry that Kai will be embarrassed or angry or upset, or just not like it, until he feels strong arms wrap around him.

“I love it Soobin, thank you.” Soobin returns his hug, smiling, before the younger pulls back. “He’s so cute!” Kai squeals, squeezing the bunny against his chest, making Soobin laugh affectionately at his excitement. 

“But don’t tell anyone about this. I have a reputation you know.” Kai places the plush into his bag with great care. 

“Of course.” Soobin feigns dire seriousness. 

He talks to Kai a while more before he leaves him to focus on completing his own tasks. When he’s finished, he does what he can to help his group with anything they might need. Beomgyu tells him that he could use help cleaning his guns, having two to get through, and Soobin accepts, both of them sitting down to start the task. They work together in familiar silence until Beomgyu speaks up. 

“Where’d you get that necklace? I like it.” He looks up at Soobin, gesturing towards him before looking back down at his gun. Soobin’s hand flits over the gift around his neck. 

“Oh, Yeonjun gave it to me. He made it. It’s from when he first helped me with target practice.” He feels his cheeks heat up, though his words are filled with pride and adoration. 

“Ah, well that’s really sweet..” Beomgyu’s barely hidden question in his tone isn’t lost on Soobin. 

“Yeah, and the next day he kissed me.” Soobin continues cleaning the gun in his hands, keeping his voice as nonchalant as possible. 

“I knew it!” Beomgyu yells, standing up in his excitement. “Taehyun totally owes me.” He adds under his breath. 

“What?” 

“Oh nothing. So tell me what happened!” Beomgyu sits down again, returning to what he was doing and waiting for him to speak. 

Soobin explains from the scare they’d had that day to when Yeonjun kissed him. He leaves out the story of Yeonjun’s past that he’d told him, figuring it’s not his to share. He can’t keep the wide, lovestruck smile off of his face as he recounts what had happened. Beomgyu listens, oohing and awing when the story calls for it. 

“You really love him.” Beomgyu says when he’s finished, and it’s more a statement than a question. 

“Yeah, I really do.” Soobin’s voice is as soft as he feels. “But enough about me, what’d you do while we were gone?” 

He finishes cleaning his gun as Beomgyu describes the events of their few days apart. They’re the same as Soobin and Yeonjun’s had been, walking and finding supplies, although it’s impressive to hear the encounters with infected they’d had and how they handled it. 

Soobin feels refreshed after catching up with his friend. They finish talking in the evening, the sky a warm orange, and they part to finish everything up before dinner. They gather a while later, sharing a meal and checking with each other that they’re ready to depart the next day. 

Yeonjun excuses himself when the rest of them are barely finished eating, leaving the living room in a hurry. Soobin’s face falls, he’d been hoping he could spend some time with him tonight before they have to leave in the morning. He feels himself fill with worry, hoping nothing’s wrong with the older, but he trusts him to come to him if he needs anything. 

He passes time with Taehyun and Beomgyu, enjoying their company and conversation. When the sun is set and the sky turns dark, all of them prepare for bed. Soobin still isn’t sure what Yeonjun is doing or where he is, and he tries his best not to sulk as he heads up the stairs to their room, Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Kai bidding him goodnight. 

As he’s pulling back the covers on the bed, he’s surprised to see Yeonjun push the door open, stepping into the room. Soobin offers him a smile, figuring if the older wants him to know about what he’s been up to he’ll tell him, he doesn’t want to pry. 

“Um, will you come with me?” Yeonjun sounds nervous, piquing Soobin’s curiosity. 

“Of course Jun.” Soobin straightens, walking over to him. “Where are we going?” 

“You’ll see. Come on.” Yeonjun grabs his hand, pulling him out the door with a smile on his face. 

Soobin thinks he seems an amusing mix of giddy and hesitant. Soobin lets himself be led, and his confusion grows when Yeonjun brings him to the end of the hall where there’s a large window. Yeonjun lets go of his hand, gripping the window and pulling it open with no trouble. Soobin glances down to notice the screen that would’ve been in place leaning against the wall on the ground next to him. 

When Yeonjun turns to him, nodding his head towards the window before beginning to climb through it, he has to keep himself from pulling him back inside the house for fear of him falling. Yeonjun stands on the roof just outside the window, extending his hand inside towards Soobin. He takes it, unsure where this is going. Yeonjun’s tight hold on his hand leads him through the window and onto the roof, and it’s flat enough that they can walk upwards away from the window. Soobin’s distracted, awestruck by the sky above them.

They’re usually indoors at night, and when they’re not, Soobin’s never paused to look at the sky since the outbreak. Due to the lack of electricity and lights, nothing is obscuring their view. Above them are thousands of bright, twinkling stars, illuminated in the black abyss. It’s breathtaking. When Yeonjun stops next to him, he tears his eyes away from the sky to look down. Before him is a pile of blankets laid over each other, fluffy looking pillows thrown in the mix, and a number of candles flickering nearby. It’s one of the most relaxing, inviting scenes Soobin’s ever seen. He sees Yeonjun looking down at his feet, rubbing one of his arms. 

“Did you… do this for me?” Soobin’s voice is gentle as he speaks. Yeonjun nods, looking up to gauge his reaction. 

He gets his answer in the form of Soobin’s teary eyes, lips turned up in an enamored smile. “This is amazing!” His words are dripping in wonder. Yeonjun beams, eyes crescents as he radiates happiness. He pulls back the blankets, gesturing for Soobin to lay down and joining him once he does. Soobin’s impressed with their makeshift bed, the blankets underneath them proving soft and comfortable, the pillows and blankets over him wrapping him in warmth. He snuggles deeper in the cushiony concoction with a sigh. 

Yeonjun gets settled next to him, and they both lay on their backs, arms pressed together. Soobin grabs Yeonjun’s hand, intertwining their fingers, making them both smile. He stares up at the astonishing view, never quite recovering from the shock of it. Every star is like a shining gift from Yeonjun, meant only for him.

“Look at that.” Yeonjun points at the stars.

“What is it?” Soobin follows the direction of his hand with wide eyes.

“These stars here,” he moves his hand from star to star, “It’s Ursa’s Belt.”

“Ooh, what’s that mean?” 

“Well Ursa means bear, so it’s a bear, uh... wearing a belt?” Soobin turns his head to look at him.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?” 

“Nope.” They both burst out in laughter at Yeonjun’s response. 

This spurs them to spend what seems like hours pointing at different stars, making up fake constellation names and stories for them, competing for who can make the other laugh harder. Soobin’s cheeks grow sore as the night progresses.

“Hey Jun?” 

“Yeah?” Yeonjun sobers to listen.

“Do you think we’ll ever get out of this?” Soobin lays his head against Yeonjun’s shoulder, still looking up at the sky. 

“What do you mean Bin?” 

“Do you think we’ll ever be able to live a normal life again?” Yeonjun pauses as he considers his answer. 

“I’m not sure. I think this might have to be our new normal.” 

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” Soobin stays silent after responding.

“What would you want to do? If we could live a normal life?” Yeonjun asks.

“Well, I used to want to be a psychologist..” 

“I think you would’ve been great at that.” Soobin can hear the smile in Yeonjun’s words. 

“What about you?” 

“I always wanted to be a professional dancer. Travel, see the world, perform in front of huge audiences.” Soobin looks up at Yeonjun as he talks, eyes on the stars but head miles away, picturing what could’ve been. 

“I bet you’re the most beautiful dancer.” Soobin sees Yeonjun’s cheeks flame fiery red. “I thought that the day we met, when you told us you used to dance before the outbreak.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. I’ve always thought you’re breathtaking.” Soobin leans up to kiss Yeonjun’s cheek, making his blush deepen and a wide smile appear on his face.

“Actually, there’s one more thing I’d want to do if we could live a normal life.” Yeonjun adds, looking down at Soobin. 

“What’s that?” 

“Marry you.” 

Soobin’s breath is caught in his throat. 

“Yeonjun…” He places his hand on Yeonjun’s chest to ground himself. 

“I’m serious.” Soobin meets Yeonjun’s intense eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I love you more than anything, and I’d ask you to marry me in a heartbeat.” As if to affirm his words, Soobin feels Yeonjun’s heart beating erratically under his hand. 

“I love you too Jun. So much.” Soobin looks into his deep brown eyes, sparkling like the stars above them. His face is glowing with the warm candlelight. Yeonjun puts a hand on his cheek, his skin tingling at the contact. 

“I would say yes.” 

And Yeonjun meets his lips with his own. 

The kiss is slow, soft and sweet. Their lips move against each other, loving and unhurried. Soobin knows that he’ll never tire of having Yeonjun’s full lips on his. It’s never enough. He runs his tongue along Yeonjun’s bottom lip, drawing a low whine from his throat. He further deepens the kiss, drunk with the feeling of Yeonjun’s lips and hands on him, and Yeonjun pulls him closer. Soobin pulls back to press a kiss to the other’s jaw, both of them breathing deeply, savoring the moment. 

“But besides, that’s not even legal here anyways.” Soobin teases.

“I’d find a way.” Yeonjun’s voice is filled with conviction. Soobin smiles at him, appreciative of his sweet response.

“Do you think we could get a cat?” Yeonjun’s question makes Soobin break out in laughter again. 

They launch into further conversation about the future; if they ever thought about having kids, pets, where they’d want to live, where they would have gone to school. Together they create a universe that exists only in their heads, peaceful and tranquil. They stay on the rooftop well into the night, far later than they should’ve, but neither of them can find it in them to care. They’re lost in their own world, only each other and the stars present. 

They eventually decide that they should go to bed, opting to clean up the blankets and pillows in the morning, although they blow out the candles. They sneak back through the window, careful not to disturb any of their sleeping friends, and go in their room. After they climb under the covers Soobin soon falls asleep, his mind filled with thoughts of marrying the boy tangled up with him.

The next morning, after gathering their supplies and eating a light breakfast of whatever they can manage to scrounge up from their dwindling food supply, the group heads out together. A thick fog settles over the forest, bringing a chill to Soobin’s skin as the atmosphere takes on a more sinister turn. He shivers, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Yeonjun, who offers what comfort he can by holding Soobin’s hand. While it does make Soobin feel more at ease, it also brings a shy blush to his cheeks.

The hills twist and roll around them as they walk, uneven surfaces surrounding them. Soobin eyes the mountainous peaks wearily, noticing steep drop offs appearing along their path. He grounds himself with the feeling of Yeonjun’s hand in his, smiling at him and kissing him on the cheek often enough for the others to notice. While he’d never gotten the chance to outright tell anyone except for Beomgyu about him and Yeonjun, they’re not trying to hide it either, and Soobin knows the others have caught on, accepting it with warm smiles and congratulatory hands on their shoulders. 

The ground grows rocky under their feet and the trees snarl at them as they move by. Their path thins the further they go, and Soobin gets a sinking feeling when he sees high slopes intercepting the path ahead of them. The group slows as they come to an abrupt rock face, all of them contemplating the passage through it. The way forward is across a narrow walkway, only a few inches wide, a towering wall extending above them on one side of the path, the ground fallen away in a sharp decline on the other. Soobin leans to look below, the unnerving height of the drop making his palms sweaty as he pictures dropping to a jagged death at the bottom of the cliff. 

“Um, guys I’m not sure about this..” Beomgyu doesn’t take his eyes off of the cliff face as he speaks.

“Is there a way around?” Soobin asks, thoughts echoing Beomgyu’s words. 

“This is the only way through. It would take too long to go around if there’s even a way, and we don’t have enough supplies.” Kai’s face conveys apology as he explains. 

“I can go first, I think it’ll be okay-” 

“No, absolutely not. It’s too dangerous.” Beomgyu’s firm voice interrupts Taehyun. 

“Beomgyu, we might not have another choice.” Kai tries to keep his words gentle as his eyes plead with Beomgyu. 

“Well we can’t just send him out there Kai! We don’t know what could happen or if it’s safe!” 

While Beomgyu berates Kai with a rising voice, Soobin and Yeonjun standing back and averting their gaze while the two of them work it out, none of them notice Taehyun slip away, stepping onto the narrow ledge without a second thought. When Kai doesn’t respond, four heads turn to see the boy on the ledge. 

“Taehyun! Please be careful!” Beomgyu rushes as close to Taehyun as he dares, voice nearing panic. 

“It’s okay guys, look.” All four of them watch with varying degrees of disbelief as Taehyun shuffles across the small space, seemingly without fear. 

When Soobin looks past the dread of knowing he’s going to have to do what Taehyun’s doing in a mere few minutes, he recognizes admiration for the younger, impressed by his ability to do first what the rest of them couldn’t. His heart slows as he watches Taehyun inch his way along without plummeting to his death. They let out a collective breath when he’s securely on the other side.

Taehyun coaches the rest of them across one by one, explaining how to best do it without losing their footing or letting their minds spin them into panic. Soobin notices that even Kai, their typically fearless leader grows pale as he faces the task. His chest clenches while he watches Beomgyu, Yeonjun, and Kai cross the gap painstakingly slowly. When it’s his turn, his hands shake as he steps onto the dangerous surface. His mind is screaming at him as he makes his way across, his eyes unable to stop from looking down, wandering to what awaits him below should he misstep. 

Just as he feels like he can’t breathe he hears Taehyun’s voice cut through the hazy fog in his head. He looks over to see the faces of his best friends, the people who mean more than anything to him. He focuses on them, resolve setting in place as he works to control his breathing, determined to get across so they can reach their destination and as close to safety as they’re going to get. Afterall, the first step to finding out what waits for them when they find Kai’s friends is him reaching the other side unscathed. 

He’s almost surprised when his feet hit the firm, expansive ground, and he sighs in relief. He smiles at his friends, chest lifted of its weight as he gestures for them to keep walking, leaving the treacherous terrain behind. He’s not sure what they would’ve done if Taehyun wasn’t there to show them it was doable. They could’ve faced a worse fate, going around and starving to death or not knowing how to properly get across and dying on the stone ground beneath them. He couldn’t be more grateful to him for that, and he tells him as much, offering him a side hug as thanks, receiving a wide smile in return. 

The anticipation is almost tangible in the air around them as they progress through the forest, Kai’s words of encouragement and promises of nearing the end of their journey spurring them on. Soobin feels guilt creep in when he begins to question Kai’s certainty of where they are and where they’re going, thoughts of wandering the forest indefinitely invading his head and threatening to betray his trust in his friend. His guilt increases as he sees buildings in the distance stretched towards the sky. He offers a silent apology that he doubted Kai before he turns to Yeonjun, mirroring his relieved smile. They’re almost there. 

Soobin can tell that the whole group grows more on edge as they begin to leave the relative security of the forest and enter another city. The trees give way to buildings that become taller the further they go. Apprehension buzzes around the group as they enter the unfamiliar environment. They stay low, keeping quiet and on the lookout for any infected among the abandoned cars and misplaced concrete barriers.

Soobin, Kai, and Taehyun walk ahead, searching through the deserted streets for anything either useful or concerning, but coming up with nothing. They talk with Kai about how close they are to their destination, Kai informing them that they should be really close now. Soobin feels jittery, the deserted street almost too quiet, but he focuses on the tasks at hand. 

He looks back to see Yeonjun and Beomgyu a ways behind, engrossed in a passionate conversation as they walk slower than the rest of the group. He smiles to himself, delighted that his best friend and his… boyfriend? are getting closer. He doesn’t really know what him and Yeonjun are. Are they boyfriends? Lovers? Partners? Soobin figures that labels probably don’t matter much, current situation considered, but he would like to be able to call Yeonjun his boyfriend, the normalcy and endearing title appealing to him. He decides that he’ll ask Yeonjun about it when he gets the chance. 

“Guys, look.” He’s drawn from his thoughts by Taehyun’s alarmed voice. 

The three of them stop in their tracks when they see a boy seeming close to their age come from behind one of the many cars, blood seeping between his fingers as he holds his hands on his stomach. Soobin sees Kai’s hand inch towards his gun reflexively. 

“Please, I- I’m not infected, but I need help. I’m by myself and I’m hurt, I fell, I was holding my knife. It was an accident, please.” He limps closer to them, his face twisted in pain. Soobin takes a step forward as Kai takes a step back. 

“Wait.” Kai reaches out and grabs his wrist. “I don’t know about this. Something doesn’t feel right.” Soobin turns to look at him, wrist still in his grasp.

“I have to help him, he’s hurt.” Soobin responds, tugging on his hand.

“Soobin, don’t.” Kai tightens his hold. Soobin ignores him, ripping his hand free and turning away before the other can stop him. 

“Here, let me take a look. You’re gonna be okay.” Soobin approaches the boy, offering him what he hopes is a reassuring smile. When he gets close enough the boy moves his hands from his stomach, and Soobin leans forward to inspect the wound, attempting to discern what supplies he might need. 

Before he can register what’s happening, there’s a flurry of movement, a rustle of fabric and he’s being spun around, a strong arm across his chest and the cold metal of the barrel of a gun against his temple.

“Soobin!” Taehyun shouts, going to reach for his own gun, Kai already raising his.

“Don’t fucking move, or I’ll kill him!” The man behind Soobin shouts, pressing the gun more firmly against his head, making him wince. “Drop your guns.” He orders. They exchange a nervous glance. “I said drop them or he’s fucking dead!” 

“Okay, okay.” Kai says in a cold voice, letting his gun fall to the concrete and raising his hands above his head, Taehyun doing the same.

Soobin doesn’t get the chance to wonder what the man is planning next, his mind running wild and his breathing erratic, before he sees three more men reveal themselves from where they were hiding, surrounding them. Soobin turns his head, trying to find Beomgyu and Yeonjun, desperate to make sure they’re okay. He doesn’t see any sign of them, and worry twists inside of him as the worst possible scenarios flash through his head.

Two of the men grab Taehyun and Kai, pulling their backpacks off and restraining their hands, forcing them to their knees. The fourth one comes up and grabs their guns and bags. Soobin stares hopelessly at his two friends kneeling on the ground, hunched over and defenseless. He fights the urge to resist against his assailant. 

“Okay, you got what you wanted, now just fucking let us go!” Kai yells. 

“What do we do with them now?” The one holding Soobin asks the man that had taken Kai and Taehyun’s supplies. Soobin guesses he acts as their group’s leader. “Do we leave them?” The leader seems to hesitate for a moment, contemplative. 

“No, just kill them.” The man sneers, his nonchalant tone as he commands their deaths sending shivers down Soobin’s spine. 

“No!” Taehyun cries.

“That wasn’t part of the plan, I don’t see why we can’t just let them g-” 

“Don’t fucking argue with me. Let’s just get this done.” The man snaps back at him. The one holding Soobin doesn’t disagree again. 

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Soobin screams as the men raise their guns towards Taehyun and Kai, and he thrashes against the arm caging him in as the gun presses painfully into his temple. 

He jerks when a gunshot rings out, his brain screaming that he’s going to have to face the image of his friends dead on the concrete, limp bodies bleeding out and lifeless, until he realizes that he’s no longer being held back. He turns to see that the man that was holding him is lying unmoving on the ground, a hole ripped through his skull by a bullet, before chaos erupts around him. 

“Guys, hide!” A voice Soobin registers as Yeonjun’s calls out. 

He ducks as more bullets fly through the air. Taehyun and Kai both break free in the confusion, scattering as Kai pulls a spare gun from where he’d had it hidden, aiming for their attackers. Soobin grabs the gun that was just mere moments from ending his life, running to crouch behind an old car. 

He sees one of the men lining up a shot, Soobin’s reflexes firing a bullet towards him before the man can pull his own trigger, lodging itself into the stranger’s shoulder as he lets out an anguished cry. Soobin fires one more shot, silencing him. He sees a second one get taken down, unable to see who wielded the gun, before only the leader’s left. Soobin watches as he rains bullets over the cars in desperation before Kai fires the final shot, the man dropping like lead.

“Soobin!” Yeonjun races to him from where he’d been hiding and pulls him into a tight hug before he pulls back to put his hands on Soobin’s cheeks, checking him over. “Are you okay baby?” 

“Yeah, I’m okay Jun.” Soobin assures him. They turn to the rest of the group to check with them and make sure everyone’s alright. He sees Taehyun standing up from where he’d been hiding, Kai walking over to check on him. They grab their supplies that had been taken from them. Soobin can’t shake the feeling that something’s still off though, where’s- 

“Beomgyu!” Taehyun screams, and scrambles behind one of the cars. Soobin hears choked gasps as the three of them sprint after Taehyun. 

His blood goes cold, vision dizzy as he sees Beomgyu on the ground, blood seeping through his clothes around a deep hole in his side. It’s pooling on the ground around him, thick and dark red. There’s too much blood. Soobin can’t think, the smell of iron permeating the air. Taehyun kneels next to Beomgyu, near hysterics, and presses his hands over the wound, staining them crimson. The pressure of his hands draws a labored whimper from Beomgyu’s colorless lips.

“Gyu? Hey, you gotta stay with me okay?” You’re gonna be okay, just- fuck.” More blood gushes out around Taehyun’s hands. “Please baby, please don’t leave me. I can’t lose you too.” Taehyun pleads, voice shaking. 

“Guys, we have to move, now.” Kai’s alarmed voice slices through the thick air around them. Soobin and Yeonjun look up to see infected ambling their direction, drawn in by the gunshots that had ricocheted across the tall buildings that are casting evening shadows around them.

“There.” Soobin points to a convenience store with boarded up windows and a cracked open door. Kai nods, and he and Yeonjun move to pick up Beomgyu, reaching out to him. 

“No, don’t touch him!” Taehyun screams, tears streaming down his face. He covers Beomgyu’s body with his own. Soobin kneels next to him. 

“Taehyun, look at me.” Taehyun listens, wide, fearful eyes meeting Soobin’s. “Beomgyu is going to be okay. But right now we have to move him, we have to get him and all of us to safety, okay?” He speaks to him delicately, although urgency laces his words. Soobin looks over his shoulder as he hears lifeless groaning coming closer. Taehyun nods, and he makes room for Yeonjun and Kai to move closer. 

Beomgyu moans as they jostle him, lifting him in their arms and dashing for the nearby building. Taehyun clings onto Soobin, sobs wracking his body as the older helps maneuver him out of the street. Soobin forces the stiff door open, throwing his body weight against it. He hurriedly checks the store for any signs of threat, undead or otherwise, before deeming it clear. 

He helps Yeonjun and Kai lay Beomgyu on a nearby table, brushing rubble off of the surface. Kai scrambles to shut the door, barricading it to the best of his ability. Soobin hears infected slam against the surface outside, frantically attempting to reach the source of the blood trail left behind by Beomgyu.

“Soobin what the hell!?” Kai whips around, throwing his hands in the air.

“What, Kai?” He retaliates, face twisted with confusion. 

“I told you not to help that guy, and you didn’t listen. Now look what happened!”

“Hey, don’t blame him, it’s not his fault!” Yeonjun interjects, voice rising. 

“We wouldn’t even be in this mess if he hadn’t have-”

“Hey!” The three of them snap their mouths closed when Taehyun screams. “I don’t give a shit whose fault it is or isn’t, all that matters right now is that we help Beomgyu.” 

Maybe it’s because they know he’s right, or maybe it’s because they’ve never heard Taehyun talk like that or even raise his voice before, but the three of them start moving, the room covered in silence beyond Beomgyu’s pained sounds. 

“Beomgyu? You’re gonna be fine, just hold on, okay?” Soobin hurries over to observe his friend, his face pale and eyes glazed over, unseeing as he stares past Soobin. 

“Kai, what do we do?” Soobin begs as Kai comes to the table. 

“Shit, he’s losing a lot of blood.” Kai pulls Beomgyu’s soaked shirt away from the wound, running his hands through his hair, eyes blown wide and panicked.

“What do we do!?” Soobin’s composure is wearing thin as his best friend bleeds out in front of him on a dirty table in a fucking convenience store. He watches as Kai grabs the first aid kid from his bag. “Kai, please hurry.” 

“Soobin, I’m going as fast as I can.” Kai bites back.

Soobin ignores the pang of hurt that drives through him from Kai’s icy words, instead focusing on the dread creeping in and taking hold as he sees Beomgyu’s eyes fall shut, not opening again. “No no no please wake up, please don’t do this.”

He hears Taehyun’s frenzied sobs behind him, and he registers Yeonjun’s low voice whispering, attempting to console him. He’s able to make out one line of Taehyun’s words, voice raw and defeated, and they pierce Soobin’s heart. 

“Please don’t let him die.” 

They’ve been in the cramped convenience store for two nights, the plan being for Beomgyu to heal as much as possible in that time before they make for where Kai’s friends are. However, after Kai does what he can to sew up Beomgyu’s wounds with the rudimentary supplies he has available in his first aid kid, Beomgyu’s condition only worsens. 

They four of them watch as the area around the bullet wound turns an angry red, skin raised and yellow around the edges. Beomgyu’s complexion remains sickly pale, and he develops a fever, shivering uncontrollably, forehead hot to the touch and clothes damp with sweat. He hasn’t been responsive since they brought him in the store, eyes staying closed and breathing shallow. 

While Kai hadn’t told him that Beomgyu won’t survive if they don’t get him help, he can sense the truth in the tense silence, the way Kai looks at Beomgyu with sorrowful eyes. Soobin, Kai, and Yeonjun spent the last two days pacing the length of the store, wracking their minds with possible plans of action. Taehyun’s refused to speak, never leaving Beomgyu’s side. 

They agree that they can’t stay where they’re at anymore, they don’t have a choice but to leave, and bring Beomgyu with them. They’ve exhausted every option beyond carrying him in the direction of Kai’s friends and praying that they make it there in time and don’t encounter any infected. Kai assures them that they’re not far away. 

While Taehyun and Kai double check that they have all of their supplies collected, Soobin sits with Yeonjun, hands clasped while they talk between themselves, offering words of comfort. Yeonjun stiffens next to him when Kai walks up to them. 

“Soobin, can I talk to you alone?” Kai rubs the back of his neck as he asks. 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Kai.” Yeonjun’s words are sharp, hand tightening around Soobin’s. Soobin feels warmth bloom in his chest at Yeonjun’s protectiveness.

“It’s okay Jun.” Soobin gives him a small smile as assurance, squeezing his hand before standing up. Kai leads him to the other side of the room and stops, turning towards him with guilt written on his face. 

“I need to apologize..” Kai’s voice is regretful as he starts, avoiding Soobin’s eyes. 

“You don’t have to, it’s okay, really.”

“No, I do have to. What happened wasn’t your fault, and you didn’t deserve the things I said to you.”

“It’s not like you weren’t right. If I had listened to you nothing would’ve happened.” 

“We don’t know that, they could’ve ambushed us anyways. Either way, it was shitty of me to yell at you like that, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blamed you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself.” The conviction in Kai’s words leaves little room for Soobin to doubt what he’s saying. 

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Soobin smiles at the other. “And thank you for everything, seriously. We never would’ve made it this far without you.”

“Of course, I’m really glad I found you guys.” Kai offers him his own smile. Soobin can’t help but pull the younger in for a hug, wrapping his arms around him. It provides a sliver of comfort to combat their tense situation. 

“I’m scared, Kai.” His voice is muffled against the younger’s shoulder as he voices his thoughts. “I can’t lose him.” 

“I know, it’ll be okay.” Kai pulls back, hands on Soobin’s shoulders. Soobin nods, looking over at Beomgyu’s small frame on the table, and he knows it’s time to go.

When the four of them are confident that what little supplies they have left is packed in their bags, Soobin cracks open the store door, peering outside against the bright sunlight. 

“Okay, it’s clear, but we gotta move quick.” After finding no zombies in their vicinity through the crack in the door, the group prepares to make a break for it.

“Are you ready?” Soobin asks Taehyun, who’s holding Beomgyu’s limp hand in his own. Taehyun nods in response. 

“Hey Beomgyu?” Soobin speaks softly, “We have to leave now, so I need you to try to stand up, okay?” Beomgyu struggles to look at him, confused brown eyes lost and broken. Soobin helps him sit up, heart heavy as Beomgyu grimaces with every movement. After Soobin gets Beomgyu on unsteady feet, Taehyun moves forward to carry his weight. 

“Taehyun, wait. We should have Yeonjun carry him.” Soobin advises. 

“No, I have to make sure he’s okay, I can do it.” Taehyun pleads. Soobin’s grateful he’s even speaking after two days of silence. 

“Taehyun, there are infected surrounding this area. We have to go now, and we have to move fast. You can’t support Beomgyu’s weight, we’ll be too slow, we won’t make it.” Kai’s attempting to stay calm and be sensitive, but his voice is tense as he explains their less than favorable situation. Taehyun begrudgingly accepts, allowing Yeonjun to put Beomgyu’s arm over his shoulders, bearing his weight without issue.

Soobin leads them outside, vigilant of their surroundings as he ushers Yeonjun and Beomgyu through the door. Taehyun is close behind, with Kai following last, indicating direction when they come to an impasse. They maneuver through the streets making as little noise as they can manage, the sun crawling high in the sky as they make moderate progress. Kai takes out any straggling zombies, slicing through them with his knife. 

Soobin attempts to keep his breathing even as he checks on Yeonjun and Beomgyu, the pair limping along. Beomgyu groans with each movement, hands clutching his side with a grimace on his face as they move forward. They have to pause regularly, Beomgyu growing weaker by the minute, before Yeonjun hoists him up again, soldiering on with most of the younger’s weight on his shoulders. Soobin continues forward, focused on nothing but reaching their destination, until they turn a corner, all of them freezing as they’re faced with two paths, one of them overrun with infected. The zombies haven’t been alerted by their presence, and none of them dare to move a muscle.

“Just go slow, and be quiet. It’s this way.” Kai gestures to the clear street, and Soobin can see the hint of a tall barricade in the distance, the long road stretching out before them. 

He lets out his breath, starting forward with calculated steps, the rest of the group following. The distance between them and the horde grows as they advance, Soobin feeling weight lifted off his chest with each successful step. They dodge rows of shattered, abandoned cars scattered over the road. 

“Guys wait, hold on a sec.” They pause when they hear Yeonjun’s words, right before they see Beomgyu stumble, Yeonjun stopping to help him stand near one of the cars and catch his breath. 

Soobin hates to see the state that he’s in, but he knows they can’t stop now, they’re so close. He’s about to suggest that they keep moving when he sees Beomgyu’s legs give out, Soobin’s heart stopping as he watches him drop. All four of them rush over just as he falls to the side, body slamming into the car he’d been standing next to. 

The car’s alarm starts wailing deafeningly through the streets, followed by the roar of the alerted undead. 

“Fuck, run!” Soobin turns to see the horde they’d bypassed turning the corner, stampeding over each other to get to them, screams tearing from their throats. 

Yeonjun grabs Beomgyu, slinging his arm around him and pulling him along. Beomgyu trips over his feet as he struggles to keep up, head bobbing dangerously. Kai hangs back, emptying his magazines into the zombies just behind them. 

Soobin’s heart races as they sprint for the barricade, knowing snapping teeth, ripping jaws, and bony fingers reaching out towards them are mere meters behind his back. He hears Yeonjun’s troubled cry next to him, and he turns to see Beomgyu stumble again, legs unable to hold his weight any longer as his body hits the ground with a resounding thud.

“We’re not gonna make it!” Kai screams from behind them, his gun firing into the flesh of the undead bodies descending on them. 

“We can’t leave him!” Taehyun screams, running over to Beomgyu and grabbing his arms, straining to pull him across the cement. 

“Taehyun, I’ve got him.” Yeonjun takes in a breath before he leans down, Taehyun backing away as he picks up Beomgyu and stands, shaky but sturdy on his feet. Beomgyu lays limp in Yeonjun’s arms as they run, pace increased slightly, still slowed by Yeonjun’s added weight. 

They’re nearing the tall concrete barrier, group staying a miniscule distance ahead of the growing horde, until they can’t run anymore, caught between the incoming infected and towering barricade. They all pause, turning to face the zombies that are running straight towards them, drawing their weapons, only option left to fight. Soobin fires endless bullets into the oncoming crowd, blood spraying with each shot that hits a target. 

Taehyun, Yeonjun, and Kai do the same, forming around Beomgyu and holding them off, but it’s not enough. With each zombie that gets dropped, more sprint forward to take its place, inching closer to where they’re backed against a wall. Soobin casts one last glance towards his best friends, the last people he has in the world, the love of his life. He has to say goodbye to all of them.

A loud crash comes from overhead, and they all jump as a large door in the wall is slammed down behind them. Guards pour out, and bullets rain down from men on top of the barricade. The 4 of them pull Beomgyu to the side, avoiding the conflict as the zombies drop like flies under the heavily armed men. The air grows quiet after the last bullet is fired and the final remaining infected falls to join the rest. Their group stays huddled together, protecting Beomgyu, who remains unmoving, breath barely detectable anymore. The guards turn towards them, masks covering their faces, and they raise their guns, training them on the 5 boys.

“Please, we’re not infected. He needs help, he’s dying.” Taehyun begs, tears falling from his eyes. The men step towards them. 

“Wait, I know Namjoon. He told us to meet him here.” Kai raises his voice to explain, desperation bleeding through.

They don’t lower their guns. 

“They’re going to kill us anyways.” Kai deadpans with realization. Soobin feels numb as he sees Taehyun huddled over Beomgyu, and he holds onto Yeonjun with everything left in him as they face down the barrels of the guns that will end their lives. 

“Stop!” A voice pierces the silence, and Soobin looks up to see a figure walking through the barricade. 

“Sir, we’ve been instructed to-” 

“I know them, they’re with me.” The man interrupts the guard.

“Namjoon?” Kai stands, approaching the man. Soobin’s in awe when Kai dashes forward and throws his arms around him. The new man smiles, dimples evident on his cheeks. The men around them share a glance with each other, lowering their weapons and stepping back. 

“Joon, we have to help Beomgyu.” Kai urges, and Namjoon turns to see the group surrounding Beomgyu’s motionless form.

“You two, go get medical, and you two help us move him.” The surrounding men spring into action at Namjoon’s orders. Soobin watches as they all work to pick up Beomgyu, carrying him through the large wall as they follow closely behind, the thick door slamming shut after they’re all through. 

The two men come back with more people, a stretcher, and medical supplies. They lay Beomgyu on the stretcher and rush him off, searching for supplies to stabilize him. Kai recounts what had happened to Namjoon, and Taehyun runs alongside, but Yeonjun and Soobin stay back, giving them space, even though everything in him is screaming to be at his best friend’s side. He knows he’s being taken care of. 

Soobin doesn’t know what to think, how to feel, everything happened so fast. He had been certain he was going to die minutes before, and now they’re in what looks like utopia. He stares, dazed, as kids run by, laughing and playing, stores are functional, electricity operational, the environment well kept. They’ve managed to rebuild within the walls of the new city, making it as if the apocalypse didn’t reach the area at all.

He almost laughs in disbelief. He knows they’d never have been able to gain entrance if it weren’t for Kai, they’d be lying on the concrete with the infected. He feels tears spring to his eyes as he takes in the sight of a society he never thought he’d witness again. He turns to Yeonjun, noticing the same look of relief and astonishment present on his face. He jumps into Yeonjun’s arms, and Yeonjun spins him around, both laughing while tears stream down their faces. 

As Soobin is held by Yeonjun, the knowledge that his best friend is in good hands and his group is out of danger comforting him, he feels a sense of security wash over him that he’d previously thought impossible in the new state of the world.

For the first time since day one of the outbreak, he feels utterly, completely, overwhelmingly, 

safe.

Soobin wakes up slowly, blinking against the light streaming in through the window. He sinks further into the soft mattress, cocooned in the fluffy comforter. He turns to see Yeonjun laying next to him, face still lax with sleep. Soobin admires the slope of his cheekbones, the way his soft yellow hair fans over his pillow, his full lips parted. He’ll never grow any less astonished by how captivatingly beautiful Yeonjun is. He stretches out with a yawn, and Yeonjun scrunches his face, rubbing it against his pillow as he’s roused from his sleep, tired eyes working to focus on Soobin.

“Goodmorning baby.” Soobin greets him with a dimpled smile. Yeonjun grumbles in response and scoots closer, wrapping his arms around Soobin’s waist and burying his face in his chest. Soobin smiles wider, warmth blooming in his chest as he holds onto his sleepy boyfriend.

After indulging in a few more minutes of bliss in the comfortable bed, Soobin manages to get himself and Yeonjun standing and dressed. He holds back a laugh, biting his lip when Yeonjun’s hair sticks up in every direction. He moves forward to fix it for him, Yeonjun offering him a soft smile as a thank you. Soobin can’t help but press his lips against Yeonjun’s, wrapping his arms around his neck as Yeonjun kisses him back languidly. They go through their morning routine, eating breakfast and drinking coffee together at their small kitchen table. 

They each take a shower, something that is blessedly possible again, and Soobin’s guaranteed that he’ll never take it for granted again. He’d never before realized how exquisite Yeonjun smells, always having been masked by dirt and death. When he hugged Yeonjun after they’d showered for the first time in months, the older swallowed by sweats and a large hoodie, he felt dizzy with his scent. He smells like vanilla, like freshly ground coffee, warm spices and cookies right out of the oven. Like home. 

After they finish getting ready, they head out to complete their jobs for the day. It’s been three months since they first came through the society’s doors and they’d taken Beomgyu to heal his wounds. After they were screened for infection, they’d been welcomed with open arms. The community offered them the same deal as the other residents, they will be allotted an apartment and food, and in return they help keep the society safe and functional. 

It’s also been three months since Yeonjun asked him to be his boyfriend, told him he wants to call him his. While it might’ve seemed obvious that that’s how Yeonjun feels, it made Soobin melt to hear him say the words, each syllable filled with love and eyes conveying undying adoration. After he eagerly accepted, tears in his eyes and mouth refusing to form anything but the widest possible smile, they were able to get an apartment together and start their new lives.

They do jobs almost every day, running perimeters, keeping watch, even things like cooking, cleaning, fixing things, hunting, and farming. It’s a more than fair arrangement, and they’re all beyond happy to do their share for the good of themselves and everyone else, in return for a safe, permanent place to live. 

Once Soobin’s done with his tasks for today, he goes back home, meeting Yeonjun. They clean up before leaving again to meet their friends for dinner, as they’ve developed a habit of doing often. They walk to Namjoon’s place hand in hand, talking about their day. Namjoon is the son of one of the community’s founders, he’s important, and beyond smart, allowed to help make a lot of difficult decisions. However, in the time Soobin’s known him, he’s realized that he doesn’t let the power go to his head, he’s humble, thoughtful, and kind. He lives in one of the larger houses, allowing more space for the 12 boys to gather there. 

As Beomgyu healed and the rest of the group got acquainted with the community, securing their place within it, Kai introduced them to the rest of his friends. Hoseok is bubbly and energetic, getting along with everyone he meets, Jungkook seems intimidating, made of pure muscle, but in reality he’s the sweetest guy, Seokjin is hilarious and caring, always making sure everyone around him is well looked after, Yoongi puts up a grumpy persona, but around his friends, a group that Soobin likes to think the 4 of them have fit into, he’s a big softie. Taehyung is strong, loyal, and talented beyond belief, and Jimin is friendly, outgoing, and lively, a wide smile and crescent moon eyes gifted to everyone around him. Soobin has grown to love all of them like his own brothers in the short time he’s known them, and he’s delighted that Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Yeonjun feel the same. 

Soobin walks with Yeonjun up to the large door to Namjoon’s house, intertwined hands swinging between them, and knocks on the worn wood.

“Hey guys!” Namjoon flashes them with a smile when he opens the door. 

Soobin and Yeonjun greet him in return, stepping inside and toeing off their shoes. The three of them move further into the house to see the rest of the large group already gathered in the living room, talking animatedly to one another. Everyone offers their welcome and bright smiles when they walk in. Yeonjun goes to say hello to Hoseok and Kai, while Soobin sees Beomgyu and Taehyun tangled on the large couch. 

“Hi Soobin!” Beomgyu addresses when he approaches the two of them.

“Hi!” Soobin sits next to them on the couch. “How are you feeling today Gyu?”

“A little sore, but the pain is mostly gone.” Beomgyu reports, making Soobin smile. 

It had been a rough recovery for him, and Soobin spent weeks sick with worry over the wellbeing of his best friend, but in the end he’d had adequate medical supplies and the support of 11 amazing friends, resulting in him pulling through and healing fully.

After conversing with Beomgyu and Taehyun, Soobin wanders into the kitchen to see Yeonjun and Jin moving comfortably around the large kitchen, cooking dinner for the group of hungry boys. The mouth watering aromas drifting through the air draw Soobin to check on their progress. He accomplishes this by wrapping his arms around Yeonjun’s waist while he’s in front of the stove, wooden spoon stirring something inside a pot. 

“How much longer?” Soobin whines.

“Be patient, Bin-ah.” Yeonjun chastises with an affectionate chuckle. Soobin pouts, but can’t keep himself from kissing Yeonjun’s cheek, causing the other to smile.

“Yah, you two are sickeningly cute.” Jin taunts from where he’s cutting vegetables. 

Yeonjun and Soobin laugh, and Soobin lets go of Yeonjun to walk back in the living room and spend time with everyone until the food’s done. Soon enough Yeonjun announces that their dinner is ready, and they all pile into the dining room, eager for the home cooked meal.

All 12 of them are able to squeeze around Namjoon’s dining table with little room to spare, and each of them dig in while thanking Yeonjun and Jin for their hard work. The sounds of cutlery against plates and boisterous conversation fill the small space. Soobin’s overwhelmed with contentment as he enjoys the delicious food and even better company. The way each of them have fit into the group since they got there makes Soobin endlessly grateful that they found them, and that he and Beomgyu happened to run into Kai in that grocery store what seems like a lifetime ago. 

The table bursts out in laughter every time Jin tells another joke, unendingly entertained by Taehyung and Jungkook teasing Yoongi, Soobin notices Taehyun talking a lot with Namjoon throughout the night, and Jimin, Hoseok, and Beomgyu form their own group, chatting with each other. Soobin holds onto Yeonjun’s hand while they eat, joining in on some conversations, other times simply listening to the familiar banter around him.

At one one point during their dinner, Namjoon announces that there’s been rumor of the development of a cure at a nearby operational medical facility. Soobin does his best to keep from getting his hopes up, but fails when Namjoon says they’ve reported that while not certain, their success appears promising. The whole table seems to radiate excitement and gratitude. 

The sun sets well below the horizon by the time they’re finished eating, and they continue talking well into the night, none of them itching to leave the relaxed and affectionate atmosphere. However, Soobin’s heart falls when he realizes there’s a few minutes until the community’s curfew, and they all have to return home, although he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t tired. One by one they all start leaving, offering bright smiles and warm hugs before departing, and after Soobin and Yeonjun help clean up the dishes from the meal, they say their goodbyes and head to their apartment. 

When they get home, they both agree to head to bed, tired from the productive day. After Soobin changes and gets cleaned up, he slips under the soft covers, the scent of vanilla surrounding him. Yeonjun joins him soon after and they lay facing each other, unable to fall asleep right away. They discuss the possibility of the cure, how that might change the world’s dynamic, and how they’re elated that Beomgyu’s recovery is going well. They talk about anything and everything, content as long as they’re with each other. Soobin has to actively work at not getting too distracted by Yeonjun’s tender eyes to hold the conversation.

His eyes begin to droop closed, and Yeonjun chuckles, pulling the younger close to him and kissing his head. Soobin drapes an arm over Yeonjun’s waist, laying his head on his chest. Yeonjun runs a hand through Soobin’s hair, the action just as comforting to the younger as it had been that first night he sought out Yeonjun’s warmth. Only now, it’s in the security of their little apartment, nestled within a protected community.

While their life won’t be without difficulty, he knows that he has an incomparable group of friends, a boyfriend that he loves to the ends of the earth who loves him unconditionally in return, and a safe place to settle. They have a future, a family, a home; all things he never imagined he’d be able to have since the outbreak. He falls asleep in Yeonjun’s loving arms, the possibility of forever stretching out before him.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it! I can't believe this story is finally over!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave kudos and a comment, let me know what you think, I love reading all of them!  
> Also come say hi on Twitter if you want! @honggjoongie
> 
> As a side note, my boyfriend was playing The Last of Us games while I wrote this, and it gave me inspiration, lol. (Amazing games btw, 100% recommend.)
> 
> Anyways, I'm working on some more stuff already, I think I'll post an Ateez au next, so Atinys stay tuned!


End file.
